Japan defies US on Russian LNG imports – media

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’s total LNG imports, and Takaichi said that an embargo on Russian shipments would harm the economy and therefore “would not be possible,” according to Nikkei.

Earlier this month, US Treasury Secretary Bessent expressed hope that Japan would end its purchases of Russian energy, and Trump reiterated that request during his meeting with Takaichi.

A hardline conservative who assumed office last week, Takaichi is reportedly known for prioritizing Japan’s strategic and economic security over foreign pressure. Japan is not alone in resisting Washington’s demands: in early October, Türkiye also rejected US calls to abandon Russian gas, citing energy security.

The European Union agreed to phase out Russian LNG imports as part of its 19th sanctions package adopted in October. The measures, approved after months of US lobbying, stipulate that short-term contracts must expire within six months and all remaining Russian gas imports, including LNG, must end by January 1, 2028.

Moscow has decried restrictions leveled against it by the EU and US as “illegal and self-defeating.”

The talks between Trump and Takaichi also reportedly covered the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 oil and gas projects in Russia’s Far East, which are partly owned by Japanese firms. Sakhalin-1 is operated by Russia’s state-run oil company Rosneft, which was sanctioned by the US earlier this month.

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