US envoy suggests Japan follows West in banning Russian jets

Ambassador Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday called on Japan to consider closing its airspace to Russian planes, following President Joe Biden's announcement on Tuesday night that the US would do the same. "You saw what the president of the United States did. You saw what Europe did, and you saw what Canada did, and I think that sets a precedent," Emanuel said at the US embassy in Tokyo, in response to questions from reporters about whether Japan should also close its airspace to Russian planes. Emanuel commended PM Fumio Kishida for Japan's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, such as imposing sanctions on Russian government officials including President Vladimir Putin. "Because of his actions, it is no longer just a European confrontation and standing up, but it's a global confrontation of democracies against autocracies," said Emanuel. Emanuel and Ukrainian ambassador Sergiy Korsunsky spoke to reporters as they jointly lit the US embassy building in blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Earlier on Wednesday, Korsunsky met with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi to discuss further efforts for Japan to support Ukraine. Hayashi was evasive when he was asked at a separate news conference if Japan intends to impose sanctions on Russian airlines. "To date, decisions have been made based on a comprehensive assessment of the appropriate measures to be taken," he said.<br/>