Japan ramps up Russia sanctions with G7, condemns nuke deployment in Belarus

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is escorted by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to the Cenotaph for the Victims of the Atomic Bomb at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, after Zelenskiy was invited to the Group of Seven nations' su

By Kantaro Komiya

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan will place additional sanctions on Russia after the Group of Seven (G7) summit the country hosted last week agreed to step up measures to punish Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Friday.

Matsuno, Tokyo's top government spokesperson, also condemned Russia's move on Thursday to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, saying it would further intensify situations around the invasion of Ukraine.

"As the only country to have suffered atomic bombings during wartime, Japan never accepts Russia's nuclear menace, let alone its use," Matsuno told a regular press conference.

The leaders of G7, including the United States, Britain, Germany and France, last week showed their resolve to support Ukraine with additional military aids and sanctions on Russia, at the annual summit held in the world's first atomic-bombed city Hiroshima.

In a co-ordinated action with G7, Japan will freeze assets of 78 groups and 17 individuals including army officers in Russia and ban exports to 80 Russian entities such as military-affiliated research labs, according to a Friday foreign ministry statement.

Japan will also ban providing construction and engineering services to Russia, although the details of the measure will be announced at a later date, a trade ministry statement said.