Putin’s first attack on Quad, Japan imposed sanctions while Russia ordered no entry

Russia has imposed strict sanctions on Japan, which is included in the Quad. Diplomatic tension between Russia and Japan has reached its peak. Russia released a new list on Tuesday, in which 30 Japanese citizens have been banned indefinitely from entering the country. This step has been taken as a response to the anti-Russian sanctions imposed by Tokyo. Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that this decision had to be taken in response to Japan’s continued ‘alleged restrictive actions’. In this new list of bans, the name of Japan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Toshihiro Kitamura is at the top. Apart from this, many journalists and professors from major universities of Japan have also been included in it.

Russia alleges that after the ongoing ‘Special Military Operation’ in Ukraine, Japan is continuously following the lines of Western countries and imposing new sanctions on Russia. According to news agency Tass, Japan implemented anti-Russian sanctions packages in several phases in the past months. Quoting Russian Ambassador Nikolay Nozdryov, Tass reported that Japan considered the benefits of joining the Western bloc greater than relations with Russia. He said that Japan has really damaged relations with one of its big neighbors.

What did Japan say on the ban?

Japan’s reaction to the ban was also quite strong. According to the report of news agency Reuters, on Wednesday the Japanese government called this step of Russia completely unacceptable. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that this step is regrettable and Japan opposes it. He said that Russia is trying to blame others for its military action, whereas the real responsibility lies with itself.

Kihara said that people-to-people contacts between the two countries are important and such decisions can further deteriorate relations. He also made it clear that Japan will continue efforts to bring peace to Ukraine while also safeguarding its national interests. Interestingly, despite the ongoing tension with Russia, Japan is still importing energy from Russia’s Sakhalin island. In September, Japan imposed new sanctions on Russian companies and many individuals. In response, Russia has already imposed sanctions on Japanese officials and citizens.