TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi agreed with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday to work on preventing the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from spreading to the Indo-Pacific region, where China is ramping up its authoritarian behavior.

In their 25-minute talks over the phone, the two officials shared the view that the impact of Russia’s moves to step up attempts to change the status quo by force will not be confined to Europe.

Condemning Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine as a serious violation of international law, Hayashi and Blinken affirmed that Japan and the United States will continue working closely together.

Sharing concerns over a potential impact of the Russian actions on the Indo-Pacific region, they also confirmed that Tokyo and Washington will redouble efforts to reinforce the deterrence and response capabilities of the Japan-US alliance. They agreed that it is necessary to deal with the situation appropriately in order not to leave wrong lessons.

Hayashi briefed Blinken on Japan’s additional sanctions on Russia, announced Friday, including export restrictions for semiconductors and other goods using cutting-edge technologies. Hayashi also said that Japan will work with the United States and other countries in responding to the situation.

The United States and European Union member countries have launched sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. As to whether the Japanese government will follow suit, Hayashi said only, “We will act appropriately while watching future developments in the situation and collaborating with international society.”

JIJI Press