After US, Japan sanctions families of Russian officials

After the United States, Japan also rolled out sanctions against Russian officials and their family members on Tuesday, a press release from the foreign ministry in Tokyo said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister Sergey Lavrov were sanctioned under the new rollout. Putin’s two daughters — Katerina Tikhonova and Mariya Vorontsova — were also sanctioned.

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Lavrov was sanctioned along with his wife Mariya Lavrova and daughter Yekaterina Vinokurova. The assets of 398 Russian citizens were frozen by Tokyo as a response to the Ukrainian invasion.

The new restrictions introduced by Japan on Tuesday were part of the third wave of sanctions against Russia since February 24, when the Ukrainian invasion started. Earlier versions of the sanctions included an import ban on goods like coal and vodka. Additonally, assets of major Russian banks were frozen and new investments were limited.

The European Union has also collectively rolled out sanctions against Russian officials and their families, including Putin and his two daughters. 

“These latest sanctions were adopted following the atrocities committed by Russian armed forces in Bucha and other places under Russian occupation,” said Josep Borrell, the European Union’s top diplomat.

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“The aim of our sanctions is to stop the reckless, inhuman and aggressive behavior of the Russian troops and make clear to the decision-makers in the Kremlin that their illegal aggression comes at a heavy cost”, Borrell added.

European Union officials said the impact of the bloc’s sanctions so far over the first four weeks shows that imports into the 27 nations from Russia dropped off by 9% in terms of value, and over 20% in terms of volume. Trade from the EU to Russia has fallen by three quarters.