Japan will ban imports of Russian coal, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, in a bold policy shift that adds pressure on Moscow after the European Union announced its own embargo on the fuel.
“Russia’s cruel and inhumane actions are coming to light one after another all over Ukraine,” Kishida told reporters in Tokyo on Friday, adding Moscow must be made to take responsibility. “We will ban imports of Russian coal.”
Japan will secure alternative sources quickly and cut imports in stages, reducing reliance on Russia for energy, he added, declining to give a time frame for the move.
