TOKYO, May 22. /TASS/. The participants in the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, which concluded on Sunday, support bolstering sanctions against Russia, although Japan and the EU countries are taking a cautious approach to this issue, professor Takeshi Yuasa of Tokyo’s Sophia University, a specialist in international relations, told a TASS correspondent on Monday.

"At the Hiroshima summit, decisions were made on further restrictions on exports to Russia, in particular, of industrial equipment and [dual-use] technologies that can be used for military purposes. This was a strong signal, and, apparently, the sanctions system will be fortified," he said.

"However, there is still an inflow of materials, technologies and services via third countries to Russia, while Western sanctions lack effectiveness. Additionally, Japan and the European countries, as opposed to the US, are cautious about bolstering these sanctions measures. Developing joint measures for blocking avenues for circumventing [sanctions] and plugging loopholes within the G7 framework remains a task for the future," the professor noted.

He said that "the summit’s biggest surprise was the appearance at the event of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who while in Hiroshima managed to extract promises from the US and Western Europe to increase arms supplies, including F-16 fighter jets."

"Japan is not sending weapons to Ukraine. However, it is already providing it with economic recovery aid and using its expertise in overcoming the consequences of natural disasters," the expert said. The professor spoke in favor of the expansion of such support, noting that, immediately following the summit, Tokyo announced that it would supply military trucks to Kiev and arrange for the medical treatment of wounded Ukrainian soldiers in Japan.