TOKYO, April 29 (RIA Novosti) – The Japanese government said Tuesday it will impose additional sanctions against Russia over the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, the Kyodo news agency reported.
Tokyo said it will deny visas to 23 Russian nationals, including government officials, amid Moscow’s “lack of visible action to reduce tensions in Ukraine,” the report said.
"We need to call on Russia to restrain itself and act responsibly," the agency quoted Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida as saying Tuesday at Narita airport.
The move came after the United States on Monday imposed sanctions against seven individual Russians and 17 Russian companies, accusing Moscow of failing to meet its Geneva commitments and further escalating the crisis.
Japan introduced its first package of sanctions against Russia in mid-March, including the suspension of consultations on easing visa requirements and freezing the planned launch of talks on signing agreements on investment and space cooperation.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday the West’s accusations that Russia has failed to implement its obligations under the recent Geneva accord on resolving the crisis in Ukraine are ungrounded.
The ministry reiterated that Russia would not tolerate the language of sanctions and would continue to assist in de-escalation of tensions in crisis-hit Ukraine.
The US and EU imposed targeted sanctions against Moscow last month over its reunification with Crimea, a former region of Ukraine that held a referendum on March 16 in which 96 percent of population voted for integration with Russia.
The assets of several Russian politicians, lawmakers and businessmen, were frozen; they were also banned from receiving to visas. The G7 countries also threatened Russia with broad economic sanctions in case of further escalation of the situation in Ukraine.
