Japan Defies U.S. Pressure to Cut Russian LNG Imports Amid Energy Security Concerns
Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi-san has rebuffed a U.S. request to phase out Russian oil imports during bilateral talks with former President Trump. The refusal highlights Tokyo's delicate balancing act between geopolitical alliances and domestic energy needs.
Russian LNG supplies approximately 9% of Japan's total liquefied natural gas, with key projects like Sakhalin-2 involving Japanese stakeholders Mitsui and Mitsubishi. Abrupt termination WOULD force Japan to source more expensive alternatives, potentially destabilizing energy markets.
The Prime Minister framed continued imports as strategic necessity rather than political defiance. "Cutting purchases would simply redirect Russian supply to China and India," she argued, suggesting such moves would fail to curb Moscow's energy revenues while compromising Japan's energy security.
