Japan Says It Is Working to Reduce Dependence on Russian LNG

Japan’s trade minister said the country aims to curb dependence on Russian liquefied natural gas, but can’t immediately halt imports despite growing pressure from the US.

“Japan has steadily reduced dependency on Russian energy in the wake of the Ukraine war,” Trade Minister Yoji Muto said on Tuesday, without providing a timeline or details on when imports could end. LNG supply from the Russian Sakhalin-2 export project accounts for about 10% of the nation’s total imports of the fuel and so “plays an important role” in energy security, he added.