US EditionJapan PM pushed back against US request to ban Russian energy imports, sources say
Russian LNG makes up about 9% of Japan’s imports, and Tokyo prioritizes energy security over U.S. demands to halt purchases amid geopolitical tensions.
- On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told U.S. President Donald Trump in Tokyo she would find it difficult to ban Russian LNG, citing energy security concerns.
- Facing U.S. requests, Japan was urged to reduce Russian energy imports as the Trump administration said the pressure aims to cut Russia's export revenues to limit its war funding.
- Russian LNG makes up about 9% of Japan's LNG imports, while Mitsui, Japanese trading firm, and Mitsubishi, Japanese firm, kept minority stakes in the Sakhalin-2 project.
- Japan said it would base energy-import decisions on national interests, complicating the Trump administration's pressure campaign to deprive Russia of energy export revenues.
- The two leaders praised a `golden age` and signed a framework agreement on critical minerals and rare earths to counter China's dominance in the sector, the Trump administration said.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Japan Says It Can Replace Russian LNG if Sakhalin-2 Supplies Stop
Japan’s top utilities say they can secure alternative liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies if shipments from Russia’s Sakhalin-2 project are disrupted, even as Washington urges Tokyo to cut energy ties with Moscow. The Sakhalin-2 field currently provides about 9% of Japan’s LNG imports under long-term contracts. The United States has been pressing Japan and other […] The post Japan Says It Can Replace Russian LNG if Sakhalin-2 Supplies Stop appe…
Japan defies US on Russian LNG imports
Japan will continue importing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) despite pressure to halt purchases, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, according to multiple news outlets. Trump, who was visiting Tokyo as part of a broader Asia tour, reportedly urged Japan to suspend Russian energy imports, but Takaichi sought his understanding, emphasizing Japan's energy needs. Russia supplies roughly 9% of Japan'…
Japan must overcome the gap between pressure from the US and its own security of supply. Strict sanctions against LNG from Russia are rejected.
How Japan’s Iron Lady Wooed Trump
This piece was originally published in The Spectator.“My wonderful ally and friend” is how Japan’s brand-new, and first female, prime minister Sanae Takaichi described President Trump in a recent X post. As has been commented in Japan, this is a bit strong given that the two have spent a total of one day together (Trump is visiting as part of a tour of South Asia). An accompanying photo shows the two in couple-y proximity inside a U.S. military …
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