Russia bans Japanese officials from entering, Kremlin monitors EU sanctions package

“We have blacklisted 63 Japanese officials, including Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo, Finance Minister and Justice Minister. All of the above individuals are prohibited from entering Russia,” the RT news agency quoted a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry today (May 4).

“We hold the Tokyo government accountable for unacceptable language towards Russia, repeated by experts or public figures in the Japanese media,” the statement said. write more.

Relations between Japan and Russia have become strained since Moscow launched a military operation in Ukraine, RT news agency reported. In March, Moscow terminated an agreement allowing Japanese citizens to freely visit the Kuril Islands, an area Tokyo calls the “Northern Territories”.

Currently, Japanese officials have not commented on the move of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Kremlin monitors EU sanctions package

Kremlin officials today (May 4) said they are closely monitoring the progress of the sixth package of sanctions proposed by the European Union (EU) against Russia.

“Sanction proposals so far are still in the plans. We are monitoring developments on the sanctions package and calculating different options,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS news agency.

According to TASS, the above statement was made by Mr. Peskov just hours after the President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula Von der Leyen announced a number of proposals for the sixth EU sanctions package against Russia.

“Today, we will present the sixth package of sanctions. First, we compiled a list of high-ranking Russian military officers and individuals who committed war crimes in Bucha, Ukraine. We know who they are, and these people will be held accountable,” Von der Leyen wrote on Twitter.

“Secondly, we want to remove three Russian banks, including the country’s largest bank, Sberbank, from the global financial settlement system (SWIFT). Next, we want to ban three Russian state TV stations from broadcasting on our television network,” Von der Leyen added.

“And finally, we propose a ban on oil imports from Russia. It should be made clear that this will not be easy, but we have to. We will ensure that Russian oil is removed in an orderly manner, in order to maximize pressure on Russia and minimize the impact on our economies.

Australia imposes sanctions on Russian officials and separatists in Ukraine

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs today (May 4) imposed a number of new economic sanctions on 110 individuals of Russia and the two self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk (DPR) and Luhansk (LPR) on the grounds that these people “violated Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty”.

“About 110 individuals are on the new sanctions list, including 34 high-ranking members of movements in the two regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine. These individuals have violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, by asserting their authority over the areas of Ukraine without authorization from the Kiev authorities,” TASS news agency quoted TASS news agency as saying. Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said.

“Sanctions were also imposed on 76 members of the Russian State Duma, who voted to call on President Vladimir Putin to recognize the DPR and LPR as independent states,” she added.

According to TASS, the Russian government has not yet responded to the move by the Australian Foreign Ministry to impose sanctions.

Tuan Tran