【By Observer Net, Chen Sijia】On October 15 local time, Japanese Minister of Finance Kato Koichi visited Washington, USA, and held talks with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. According to Reuters, Yellen stated after the meeting that she had asked Japan to stop importing Russian energy. After the meeting, Kato did not give a clear response, only stating that Japan would continue to cooperate with other G7 members.

Yellen said on the social media platform X: "Today, I met with Japanese Minister of Finance Kato Koichi to discuss promoting Japan's strategic investment plan in the US through the US-Japan Trade and Investment Agreement. Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues regarding US-Japan economic relations, as well as the US government's expectations for Japan to stop importing Russian energy."

Kato accepted media interviews after the meeting. When asked about the US request for Japan to stop importing Russian energy, he did not answer directly. Kato only stated, "Japan will strive to achieve peace in Ukraine on a fair basis according to the basic principles coordinated with the G7."

Yellen and Kato Koichi meet in Washington Social Media

Last month, Japan announced that it would lower the price ceiling for Russian crude oil imports from $60 per barrel to $47.60, which is consistent with the price ceiling set by the EU in the 18th round of sanctions against Russia.

Reuters pointed out that after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Japan had reached an agreement with other G7 countries to gradually stop importing Russian oil. However, Japan continues to purchase Sakhalin blend crude oil, which is a byproduct of liquefied natural gas produced by the Russian Sakhalin-2 project. The Sakhalin-2 project is crucial for Japan's energy security, with about 9% of Japan's liquefied natural gas imports coming from the project.

Data from the Japanese Ministry of Finance showed that between January and July this year, Japan imported 599,000 barrels of crude oil from Russia, accounting for 0.1% of its total imports.

President Trump is pushing his allies to buy more American liquefied natural gas, hoping to get more countries to participate in the still-unbuilt Alaska liquefied natural gas project. In recent months, Japan has signed multiple liquefied natural gas procurement agreements with American producers, but has not yet reached specific agreements on the Alaska liquefied natural gas project.

In recent days, the Trump administration has also threatened India, saying it would impose sanctions on India's purchase of Russian oil. On October 15 local time, Trump claimed that Indian Prime Minister Modi had promised him to stop purchasing Russian oil. He added that India could not "immediately" stop importing Russian oil, but he believed the shift was already underway.

Responding to this, the Indian Foreign Ministry said on the 16th: "India is a major importer of oil and natural gas. In the context of turbulent energy, maintaining the interests of Indian consumers has always been our top priority, and our import policy is completely guided by this goal."

The Indian Foreign Ministry stated in a statement that India's energy policy is committed to ensuring stable energy prices and secure supply, "as far as the United States is concerned, we have long sought to expand energy procurement, and we have made steady progress over the past decade. The current US government has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India, and related discussions are ongoing."

Russian President's Press Secretary Peskov responded: "US President Trump has repeatedly stated that he intends to persuade countries not to purchase Russian oil. But on this issue, the positions of these countries themselves must also be considered. This is a matter of people's interests. Countries all want to purchase high-quality products at lower prices, and Russia can provide such an option."

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