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The foreign ministers of Japan and the United States on Saturday agreed that the impact of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has gone beyond Europe and that boosting their security alliance is a requisite for maintaining peace in Asia.
Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Thursday “aggression” and said he confirmed with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during phone talks that it has undermined “the very foundation of the international order that does not allow any unilateral change in the status quo by force.”
Hayashi told reporters that the ramifications of Russia’s action, in clear defiance of international law, will “not be limited to Europe” and that it could also affect the Indo-Pacific region, where China is increasingly assertive.
During their conversation, which lasted 25 minutes, Hayashi said the two agreed on the need to “strongly condemn” Russia and appropriately deal with Moscow “so as not to leave behind wrong lessons.”
Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi speaks to reporters after telephone talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Feb. 26, 2022, in Tokyo.
According to a government source, until Friday night when Hayashi spoke by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba, Japan did not use the word “aggression” when referring to Russia’s invasion.
“The Japanese government has not defined aggression but decided to use it. Aggression has a stronger nuance than invasion,” a Foreign Ministry official said.
The switch to aggression, which was repeated by Hayashi when he met the press on Saturday, was decided upon after the United States and other countries started using the term, officials said.
They said the change is also meant as a warning against China, which has not ruled out the use of military force to reunify Taiwan with the mainland.
Hayashi’s conversation with Blinken came after Japan unveiled a set of tougher sanctions against Russia, including a freeze on assets held by three Russian banks and export controls on high-tech products such as semiconductors to military-linked groups.
Blinken “thanked” Hayashi for the imposition of the sanctions on Russia as well as Japan’s efforts to build a coalition to “amplify the joint impact” of Western nations’ response to the invasion, according to the U.S. State Department.
Japan’s new package, which also includes the suspension of visas for certain Russian individuals and entities, followed softer initial steps announced after Russia’s recognition of two pro-Moscow separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent. That action eventually paved the way for Russia to deploy troops in what were called “peacekeeping” operations.
Hayashi and Blinken also reaffirmed that Tokyo and Washington will strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the bilateral alliance and work closely with other countries, such as their partners in the Group of Seven, in dealing with Russia and the crisis, the Japanese ministry said.
Later Saturday, Hayashi spoke with Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau by phone. He asked for cooperation when Japanese nationals in Ukraine evacuate by land to Poland, according to the ministry.
Rau was quoted as saying in response that Poland, which shares a border with western Ukraine, stands ready to offer maximum support to Japan.
Japan has set up a temporary liaison office in Lviv in western Ukraine. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a press conference on Friday that the government has already chartered a plane for Japanese citizens to evacuate to another country from Poland.
Related coverage:
U.S. joins EU in imposing sanctions on Putin after Ukraine attack
Ukraine calls for talks with Putin as Russian forces approach Kyiv
Japan targets banks, military groups in new sanctions on Russia
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