What stance do you think Japan should take as the global community discusses ways to respond to Russia's attack on Ukraine?

I don't live in Japan. This is for voters and representatives there to decide.

But ... full sanctions across the board against Russian businesses, trade, and personal assets of all the Russian leaders who support the invasion. Close the border to all Russian passport holders. Cancel any visas if they aren't permanent residents of Japan.

Japan should use the opportunity to seriously think about its future relationship with the US before it's too late.

Autark defense capabilities and a kind of civilian’s paramilitary education are required, because surely the assistance focus has now been quite shifted back again to Atlantic alliance and Western/ Central European areas.

Honestly, I think a non-stance is probably the best stance for Japan. They don't have any security obligations with either party that should lend them to get unnecessarily involved. Most parties are being non-interventionist so far, Japan certainly should be.

@theFu

Deport anyone with a russian passport? That is absolutely insane, nobody anywhere is calling for such extreme measures.

They should stick to "urging" sides to do stuff and chill.

Putin is the evil I did not believe existed still.

It should start with a total blockade of Russian products.

What stance do you think Japan should take as the global community discusses ways to respond to Russia's attack on Ukraine?

The hard one.

BTW, good post Monty!

Japan should use the opportunity to seriously think about its future relationship with the US before it's too late.

I'm not sure that I get this.

The reason Russia has been able to invade Ukraine is because Ukraine does not have a security treaty relationship with the United States, such as NATO membership, that would oblige the US to help it.

Japan, unlike Ukraine, has such a security treaty with the US. So what is it that Japan should be re-thinking about its relationship with the US, in light of what has happened to Ukraine?

Sanctions need to be handed down to let Russia know that the international community isn't playing around. We don't need another world war; times are bad enough now what with Covid still raging throughout the world. Issue sanctions, dispatch aid to Ukraine, and try to get Putin to see sense.

My good lady, who for years was banging the revisionist drum of Abe and his nationalist cronies, insisting that Japan's Constitutional rejection of war should be revoked, has this very morning seen sense and is now suddenly glad that Japan cannot be drawn into a European war.

Strange that, eh? Just as soon as one's kids become old enough to get conscripted, she suddenly doesn't want to go all misty-eyed at the sound of Kimigayo.

Deport anyone with a russian passport? That is absolutely insane, nobody anywhere is calling for such extreme measures.

This would only target vacationers and Russian workers. After all, the companies they work for will all be shutting down in Japan from the statement prior.

If they a Japanese Citizens or permanent residents, then they can stay.

The point is to make Russia hurt on multiple levels, without actually physically harming anyone.

The US expelled Russian diplomats for state sponsored hacking in 2021. Any company connected to SVR needs to be treated as an enemy.

The US and UK told all citizens in Ukraine to leave. The US and UK ordered the families of embassy personnel out of Ukraine about a month ago.

All we need now is a photo of Putin outside some well-known govt building in Kiev where his speech claims to have saved the people still in the country. A photo similar to this one: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-2004-1202-505%2C_Prag%2C_Burg%2C_Besuch_Adolf_Hitler.jpg

Those Japanese, especially politicians in opposition, and so so called human rights-ists in flower fields, are to face the reality of human beings, the reality of how communicative protests doesn't work against madness.

Nonresistance legacy in India did not work as you can see current India is protecting itself with nuclear force.

You must protect yourself and your loved ones by yourself and you must train yourselves to feel comfortable to do so. Don't listen to those who always carry guns when you discuss on humanities

‘Handcuffed’ and limited for historical reasons, Japan just can’t do anything with significant outcome against them. So the only stance to be taken can be such one like supporting indirectly other countries or alliances who try to withstand. That aggressive guy only understands massive power and violence and I don’t think that Japan can ‘speak’ that language well at the moment.