MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. Moscow will work out additional countermeasures against Japan in case Tokyo continues to support the Kiev regime, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
On March 3, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced an entry ban for nine Japanese citizens, including Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, as a retaliatory measure to Tokyo’s policy of sanctions.
"Our recent move to issue a ban that particularly applies to the Japanese foreign minister is a countermeasure stemming from Tokyo’s hostile policy, which includes the so-called packages of sanctions and direct material, technical, military and industrial assistance to the Kiev regime. If Japan maintains its current foreign policy, we will continue to work out countermeasures," the Russian diplomat specified.
Zakharova emphasized that in order to resume a full-fledged dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation with Moscow, Tokyo needed to completely abandon attempts to harm Russia's economy and security.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman added that Moscow would not make the details of personal restrictions against Japanese citizens public.
Sanctions on Russia
After the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, Tokyo imposed several packages of sanctions on Moscow. As a result, Russia suspended consultations on a peace treaty with Japan. Moscow also withdrew from talks on joint economic activities on the southern Kuril Islands and canceled visa-free travel for Japanese citizens visiting the region. According to Russian Ambassador to Japan Nikolay Nozdrev, Tokyo actually dismantled the entire system of relations with Russia.
Addressing a plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club on November 7, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia and Japan were natural partners as neighbors and that Moscow would not oppose Tokyo resuming cooperation. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said at a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Moscow Akira Muto in late December 2024 that dialogue between the two countries could only resume once Tokyo took practical steps to review its anti-Russian policy.