Japan, Australia impose sanctions on Russia
Gulf Times
A Ukrainian serviceman walks along a trench at a position on the front line with Russia-backed separatists near the settlement of Troitske in the Lugansk region.
Japan and Australia announced the imposition of a set of sanctions on Russia after it recognised the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk from Ukraine.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in statements that Japan will suspend visa issuance for officials from the two regions and freeze their assets. It will also ban exports to and imports from the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as well as the issuance and trading of new Russian sovereign bonds in Japan, Kishida said.
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison also announced sanctions on some Russian individuals, and announced travel bans and targeted financial sanctions over Moscow's moves in eastern Ukraine.
Morrison stated that the ‘Russian invasion’ was unjustified and unacceptable. "Russia is at peak readiness to now complete a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and that is likely to occur within the next 24 hours," Morrison said.
