Senior Japan, U.S. officials to meet this week over Ukraine

The government will promote efforts to ensure the effectiveness of the sanctions to "impose maximum costs on Russia," Suzuki told a separate news conference.

But please minimize "collateral damages", the effect on life of ordinary Russians there, quite many of whom are victims under the authoritarian regime.

 life of ordinary Russians there, quite many of whom are victims under the authoritarian regime.

The majority of ordinary Russians, at least according to information from Russia, voted to allow Putin and his authoritarian regime to stay in power until 2036.

The majority of ordinary Russians used that bit of democracy to keep a tsar-like system in place. Own goal. But I feel for those Russians who have attempted to resist one of the modern era's most dictatorial and brutal regimes. At least Russians are a tad bit better off than North Koreans, stuck probably forever with the Kim dynasty. And better off than Saudi Arabians stuck with their dynastic regimes.

Those who oppose democracies and favor authoritarianism while complaining about losing your freedoms, look at what individuals living in authoritarian regimes endure, then compare their lives with the majority living in democratic nations like New Zealand, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and others.

I suspect this is where we might see more of the "We support what the US and other Western/Nato nations are doing, and we will continue sanctions, but we still wish to import oil products from Russia" since now they are recording a record deficit due largely to rising fuel charges. Companies like Uniqlo are failing to pull out of Russia with no consequences (like with Myanmar and Kirin, Nissan, etc.), and more. I hope Japan proves me wrong here and is willing to step up and do even more -- not just throwing our tax money at the situation, but applying even more, harsher sanctions, and demanding all business pull out of Russia or face serious consequences. Adidas has pulled out of Russia, whey can't Uniqlo?

Are we in 21 century? Right or left ideology? The endless materialism everywhere and economy in collapse? Well, this Ukraine war looks like the images of Europe 80 years ago, in color. This war is Putin sovereign Russia against NATO countries, and Ukraine is a victim of this confrontation. I just want this nightmare ends and people in the world to wake up...

Japan should stay out of it. Not our business.

if our leaders weren’t US lapdogs, we have one best of the chances in decades to restore our country’s economy. We can get oil, gas, rare metals, minerals, wheat…so many resources at a very good price.

The U.S. is planning to send two Patriot missile batteries to Poland, according to a March 9 CNN report.

Like Ukraine, Poland was one of the 8 Warsaw Pact nations prior to 1991. Taking full advantage of the turmoil of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the U.S.-led NATO expanded its sphere of influence in Eastern Europe in a very hectic fashion. Vladimir Putin might be in deep resentment of this. So, one may say U.S.-led NATO is a remote cause of today’s Ukraine issue.

One must take this fact into consideration when discussing the Ukraine issue.

The article regarding Uniqlo has been withdrawn. Uniqlo continues to keep its outlets in Russia open. I will not buy any clothing from them in the future.

Certainly others would be interested in your POV. @MichaelHooper 1:37pm - Such discussions have been resumed on the Shell Oil & McDonald’s “Business” articles today. - Best Wishes.

@MichaelHooper 1:37pm: “The article regarding Uniqlo has been withdrawn. Uniqlo continues to keep its outlets in Russia open. I will not buy any clothing from them in the future.” -

Japan trying to stay relevant?

The majority of ordinary Russians, at least according to information from Russia, voted to allow Putin and his authoritarian regime to stay in power until 2036.

The elections have been most likely rigged as voters have had virtually no choice. The voting turnout alongside approval ratings for Putin sometimes go beyond 100% (!) . People remain silent. Critics if vocal and visible are subject to "neutralisation" by poison or contract killing. Unknown death and missing are part of Russian life. Our definition and understanding of liberal democracy don't exist there.

Away from their respective homelands, both Russian and Ukrainian expats seem to go well in overseas communities, no except in Japan. Things are now getting difficult and divisive.

Senior - as in dinosaurs

Poland is stirring the pot

Poland is stirring the pot

Most Poles today either were alive or have read enough history to be well aware of what happened when Nazi Germany and the Stalinist USSR squeezed and brutalized their nation, and probably have no desire for a repeat. Poles today want the bits of freedom they have earned since Russia left them alone. I think most Poles, most people in former SSRs for that matter want to maintain their respective national identities and do not want to be under Russia's boots and bombs anymore. Given the large number of people currently living in a former SSR there could be a few among them who want to have big brother Putin control them, like the kings and tsars of old controlled people.

Japan should stay out of it. Not our business.

The Japanese in my family want Russia to stay out of other nation's business, and its hackers and online warriors to worry about life back in Russia. How's the body count going these days? What have ordinary Russians and the families of Russian generals been told bout deaths in the Ukraine invasion. Were they told they killed sightseeing?

One must take this fact into consideration when discussing the Ukraine issue.

By using Putin's other-guy defense Putin supporters and other anti-democracy anti-west zeaalots are ignoring the carnage, that if you trust the images photographers and western media are showing.

I cannot ignore the fact that Putin and his military invaded a sovereign nation and are slaughtering innocent civilians, women children and the elderly to weak to flee. I actually know US history pretty well, and am well aware of the atrocities committed by US troops in invading sovereign nations, and will not and cannot justify what was done. So please do not try a what-about. I think it says a lot about anti-west pro-authoritarians that they cannot admit Putin's stormtroopers are doing hideous things without resorting to the west is worse and it's media bias defenses of what is going on in Ukraine.

@Rodney

Japan is using this crisis to garner support for their claim on the Kuril Islands. It's very disgraceful how even in the face of great suffering, Japan has the brazenness to think of ways to further themselves.

Companies like Uniqlo are failing to pull out of Russia with no consequences (like with Myanmar and Kirin

Kirin left Myanmar I think in January.

The U.S. is planning to send two Patriot missile batteries to Poland, according to a March 9 CNN report.

Last year Poland placed a very larger order for Patriot missiles, launchers, radars and fire control units. Such equipment takes time to build and the version of Patriot the Poles want had not finished testing yet, so they won't take delivery soon. The US Army units will offer protection in the mean time.

Japan should stay out of it. Not our business

It is exactly that sentiment that let Hitler gain so much power and kill so many people. It sounds so nice, just stay out of it, until the tyrant's forces cross into your country. Then you wish you had taken a stand earlier. Imagine how different the world would be if the US had the ability in the early 1930s to challenge the IJA in China. Stop them there before they could conquer the rest of Asia and attack the US itself.

Indo-Pacific region, where China is expanding its clout.

This must be pleasing news to the anti-west, anti-NATO, pro-authoritarians who want to see democracies destroyed to read that China and its Belt and Road are expanding at the same time Putin is expanding his personal Eurasian Economic Union. Though what happens when these two regimes each led by a megalomaniac have a conflict over territor?; I expect the response from the pro-authoritarians will be their same-old the west did terrible things, too, so it's OK if Russia and China brutalize others.Plus they'll say old it's western media that have made China and Russia look bad, both empires are doing great things, at least according to their state-controlled media and many outlets in the west's extreme right media.

There is no denying that Russian forces invaded the sovereign territory of Ukraine and shelled civilian sectors, thus causing many civilian casualties. Putin says Ukraine alone is responsible for civilian casualties because the Ukrainian army is using civilians as human shields. That's a funny logic.  

There's no denying, either, that the root cause of the Ukrainian problem today is NATO's eastward expansion like a looter looting a house on fire.

There's no denying, either, that the root cause of the Ukrainian problem today is NATO's eastward expansion like a looter looting a house on fire.

The former Soviet republics and the former members of the Warsaw Pact wanted protection from the Russians so they joined NATO. There was no grand plot by the US to do harm to Russia. How can you blame those former Soviet satellite states or Soviet SSRs from wanting no part of their cruel former master seeking protection in NATO? You distort history greatly. You are seeing the very reason these nations want to band together in mutual self defense against the Russians. They know better apparently than you the true nature of such nations.

Desert Tortoise,

The former Soviet republics and the former members of the Warsaw Pact wanted protection from the Russians so they joined NATO.

They wanted to join NATO even before 1991 while they were Warsaw Pact members?

They wanted to join NATO even before 1991 while they were Warsaw Pact members?

Some probably did. Were you alive for the Hungarian Revolution or the Prague Spring? Both were harshly put down by the Soviet Army. That would not have happened had they been NATO members. But memories are long and those nations remember Russian brutality and do not want to repeat it. Joining NATO is their best protection from further Russian aggression.

Why is it so hard for you to understand the fear nations in Europe have of Russia? I have had the privilege of knowing refugees from the Soviet bloc including some high level defectors. They will tell you clearly one can never ever trust Russia. When a former senior GRU officer tells you the US is the worlds best hope for protecting individual freedom you listen. You have lived a privileged life in a wealthy first world country. You do not appear to understand the fear of communism and of Russia that is in the hearts of those who escaped their tyranny. That and not any grand plot is what drove former Soviet SSRs and satellite states to join the EU and NATO. They want to be out of the Russian sphere and instead join Europe and the west.

The Hungarian Revolution in 1956 and the so-called Prague Spring in the mid-1060s were motivated to demand for better social order, but not for them (Hungary and Czechoslovakia) to join NATO, as I remember.

The U.S. military's rule of Okinawa in 1945-1972 was no less harsh and dictatorial, the reason why Okinawa wanted to return to Japan and live peacefully under Japan's pacifist constitution.

The U.S. military's rule of Okinawa in 1945-1972 was no less harsh under the jackboot of colonialism, the reason why Okinawa wanted to return to Japan and live freely under Japan's pacifist constitution.

The U.S.'s rule of Okinawa in 1946-1972 was no less harsh and unbearable under the jackboot of a victorious military, the reason why Okinawans wanted to return to Japan and live like human beings with more dignity and respect assumedly guaranteed by post-war Japan's pacifist constitution.

In the early occupation days, it was the U.S. Navy that was responsible for administering the occupied Okinawan islands. They governed the islands justly or at least tried to do so based on democratic principles. But when the U.S. Army took over governing authority from the Navy, the situation changed radically and for the worse. And you know the rest of the story.