During a meeting with US President Donald Trump, Japan's new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that the ban on imports of russian liquefied natural gas would be difficult.
It was reported by Reuters with reference to two representatives of the Japanese government.
The issue of russian LNG was raised during the bilateral meeting of the leaders on October 28, and, according to sources, Takaichi asked Trump to show understanding of Japan's energy needs.
Russian supplies account for nearly 9% of Japan's total LNG imports, and Japanese companies Mitsui and Mitsubishi have stakes in the Sakhalin-2 LNG project in russia's Far East.
Ahead of Trump's trip to Asia this week, the US has called on russian energy buyers, including Japan, to stop imports and impose sanctions on the two largest oil exporters, Rosneft and Lukoil, to pressure moscow to end its war in Ukraine
According to the Nikkei business daily, Takaichi told Trump that if Japan stops buying, it will only make China and russia happy.
China and India have been the main buyers of russian energy exports, although many Indian refineries have suspended new orders of russian crude after the introduction of new US sanctions last week, awaiting clarification from the government and suppliers.
Japan has increased its purchases of U.S. LNG over the past few years in an effort to diversify away from its main supplier Australia and prepare for the expiration of supply contracts with russia's Sakhalin-2 project.
Most of the Sakhalin-2 supplies will expire between 2028 and 2033. Replacing this gas is expected to be expensive and lead to higher electricity prices, Japan's industry minister said last week.
Japan buys less than 1% of its oil imports from russia under a sanctions exemption that expires in December, and the bulk of its oil supplies come from the Middle East.
On October 28, Trump visited Japan, which was his first meeting with the new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two leaders signed an agreement to realize the "golden age" of their countries' alliance. Among other things, Takaichi told Trump that she would nominate him for the Nobel Prize.
Earlier, on October 22, the US Treasury Department announced new sanctions against russia. Restrictions were imposed on Rosneft and Lukoil, as well as their 34 subsidiaries.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said that Trump is preparing to impose stricter sanctions on the aggressor country russia. They should force russian dictator vladimir putin to the negotiating table.
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