Takaichi: "Trump Asked Japan to Halt Russian LNG Imports... Difficult to Comply"

During his visit to Japan, U.S. President Donald Trump requested that Japan halt imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), but Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi conveyed that it would be difficult to comply, according to a report by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on October 29.

Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan. Photo by Yonhap News

According to government officials and others, President Trump made the request to ban imports of Russian LNG to Prime Minister Takaichi during a luncheon between the two leaders on October 28.

In response, Prime Minister Takaichi sought President Trump's understanding, explaining that if Japan were to withdraw from projects such as the Sakhalin-2 Project-an oil and natural gas development in the Russian Far East in which Japanese companies hold stakes-only China or Russia would benefit.

Kyodo News also reported that Prime Minister Takaichi expressed to President Trump Japan's intention to continue importing Russian LNG for the time being.

Previously, on September 15 (local time), U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Besant requested a halt to Russian energy imports during a meeting in Washington, D.C., with then-Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato.

The Trump administration has been urging the European Union (EU), the Group of Seven (G7), India, and others to ban imports of Russian energy as a means of applying pressure on Russia. The EU has already announced its intention to phase out Russian LNG by the end of next year.

However, Japan has so far declined to comply, judging that halting imports of Russian LNG would significantly impact its energy supply.

Currently, Russian LNG accounts for about 9% of Japan's total LNG imports. Notably, Mitsui & Co. and Mitsubishi Corporation have invested in and hold stakes in the Sakhalin-2 Project.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.