After being outright rejected by Putin, Japan has once again vowed to pursue oil purchases from Russia, vowing not to give up until its goal is achieved!

The Kyodo News agency exclusively revealed on April 2 that the Japanese government is preparing to dispatch an economic delegation to Russia in May, with major trading houses including Mitsubishi Corporation, Mitsui & Co., and shipping company MOL having already received invitations. The report explicitly stated that one of the core agenda items for the delegation would be "purchasing Russian crude oil," aimed at addressing the Middle East energy import crisis triggered by U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran.

On March 31, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov clearly stated during an interview with Izvestia: "Russia will not supply oil to countries supporting the oil price cap," directly naming Japan. A presidential decree issued by President Putin, which has taken effect through June 30, 2026, prohibits supplying oil to any foreign companies that include price cap provisions. This means that as long as Japan does not revoke the G7-led price cap policy, Russia will "not sell a single drop."

Japan's actions are full of contradictions: on one hand, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi publicly declared on March 31 that "Japan will not adjust its sanctions policy toward Russia"; on the other hand, it secretly invited trading firms previously involved in the Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 projects to conduct negotiations in Russia. On April 3, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shigeru Kitamura urgently denied Kyodo’s report as "untrue," yet the same day Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry convened an emergency meeting to discuss "how to alleviate the energy crisis without abandoning the price cap." This exposed Japan’s genuine dilemma of being caught between a rock and a hard place.

By March 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury had already issued temporary licenses allowing certain Russian oil transactions to stabilize global markets, prompting South Korea, India, and others to swiftly begin purchasing. However, Japan remains hesitant. The "five major trading houses" mentioned in Kyodo’s report exemplify Japan’s attempt to achieve its goal through corporate channels—officials cannot act directly, so they rely on businesses as "white gloves."

As Dage says, this latest move by Japan resembles more of a desperate performance: having already alienated Russia, yet unable to bear the risk of energy cutoffs, Japan is ultimately forced to repeatedly oscillate between "begging while kneeling" and "standing hungry." While appearing fiercely tough toward Russia on the surface, behind the scenes it desperately tries to soften its stance—truly disheartening.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861600010663947/

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