Japan will expand its sanctions against Russia by banning imports of some Russian products, including vodka, and freezing assets held by major lenders Sberbank and Alfa Bank, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday. The new sanctions also phase out coal imports and new investments in Russia, Kishida told a press conference, keeping in step with other Group of Seven nations. The punitive measures are part of Japan's efforts to hold Russia accountable for "cruel, inhumane" acts in its invasion of Ukraine, Kishida said, calling them "war crimes.
