Politics

Western sanctions targeting everything from Russia's banks to the nation's key energy sector could push President Vladimir Putin ever closer to Beijing. (Source photos by AP) 
Comment

Russia's potential subordination to China poses threat

Worries mount that Moscow could grow more moody, provocative

11 May 2022
Smoke rises after a Russian missile strike in Lviv, Ukraine, on May 3,. Russian missiles targeted the city, hitting electrical substations and disrupting power.
Ukraine war

'Staying no matter what': Ukraine auto parts plant adapts to war

Factories give local workers opportunities to help rebuild battered economy

11 May 2022
Despite strong earnings, executives with Japanese trading companies are cautious due to the Ukraine-Russia war. (Source photos by Kai Fujii, Reuters and Sakhalin Energy/Jiji)
Commodities

Commodity price surge lifts profits at Mitsubishi, Itochu

Executives at big Japanese trading houses cagey on Russia operations

10 May 2022
A liquefied natural gas plant in Sakhalin. Japan's investments in development projects on the island were aimed at diversifying the nation's energy procurement.  
Energy

Japan faces dilemma in Sakhalin as G-7 vows to quit Russian crude

Continued stakes in pivotal oil and gas projects highlight Tokyo's energy woes

10 May 2022
A view of the G-7 video conference on Ukraine from Paris on May 8.
Ukraine war

Japan to keep stake in Russia's Sakhalin oil, gas projects: Kishida

PM indicates no timeline for energy ban after G-7 pledge of support

9 May 2022
Prime Minister Kishida enters the Prime Minister's Office after returning from a visit to Southeast Asia and Europe on May 6. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)
International relations

Kishida weighs attending Asian security conference in Singapore

Japan PM aims to confirm unity at Shangri-La Dialogue, with eyes on Russia, China

7 May 2022
Sanna Marin, Finland's prime minister, said the international community should make the Ukraine war "as expensive for Russia as possible." (Photo by Yasuo Takeuchi)
Interview

Finland to decide on possible NATO membership application in May: PM

Sanna Marin supports import bans on Russian oil and gas to curb Putin's war fund

7 May 2022
Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference in Moscow on Feb. 1: The outward-facing rhetoric will be moderate, and many observers will interpret it as a theatrical way for the state to seek reasonable ends.
Opinion

We should listen to dictators when they tell us their plans

Autocrats who preach irredentism usually follow words with actions

6 May 2022
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Paris on May 4.
International relations

France and India partner on weapons tech in blow to Russia

Macron and Modi agree to promote New Delhi's 'self-reliance' in defense

6 May 2022
The OPEC+ alliance is expected to ratify plans for a production increase for June of 430,000 barrels a day. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
Commodities

OPEC offers Europe little hope of quitting Russian oil

Cartel set to keep policy of only modest production increases at meeting

5 May 2022
Russia has adopted measures allowing Aeroflot and other domestic airlines to retain aircraft leased from foreign companies. 
Ukraine war

Asian lessors take losses on failure to recover jets from Russia

Avolon and Aircastle record $550m in asset write-offs for stranded planes

4 May 2022
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center left, and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, center right, meet in Bangkok on May 2.
International relations

Japan PM touts unity on Ukraine in Southeast Asia tour

Tokyo and Bangkok sign defense equipment pact and eye South China Sea cooperation

3 May 2022
Ukrainian presidential aide Oleksiy Arestovich speaks during an online interview with Nikkei Asia on May 1. (Photo courtesy of Ukrainian Presidential Office)
Interview

Ukraine to launch counteroffensive by mid-June: Zelenskyy aide

Arms deliveries from U.S., Europe enable fight back against Russian troops

2 May 2022
Russia's invasion of Mariupol and other parts of Ukraine has given Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida three important lessons. (Source photos by Uichiro Kasai and Reuters)  
Comment

Russia's Ukraine invasion serves as wake-up call for Japan

War underscores urgency of buttressing nation's defense system and alliances

2 May 2022
China has maintained trade with Russia even as major economies like the U.S. impose extensive sanctions on Russia.
Ukraine war

Chinese regions chase business opportunities in Russia as West exits

Authorities keen on greater trade but wary of encouraging new investments

30 April 2022
Half the oil Japan imports from Russia comes from the Sakhalin-1 project. (Photo courtesy of Exxon Neftegas via Kyodo)
Ukraine war

Exxon downsizes staff as it prepares to exit Russia's Sakhalin-1

Oil giant starts cutting production as it declares force majeure

29 April 2022
UnionPay had drawn interest in Russia as an alternative to Visa and Mastercard.
Finance

China's UnionPay shuns Russian banks as sanctions force caution

Bank card company forgoes new opportunities to maintain global connections

29 April 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin told lawmakers in St. Petersburg on April 27, "If someone intends to intervene in the ongoing events from the outside ... our retaliatory strikes will be lightning-fast." (Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Kremlin via Reuters)
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from April 12 to April 28: Putin warns West of 'lightning-fast' retaliation

Japan Tobacco eyes sell-off of Russia business; Biden to visit South Korea, Japan in May

28 April 2022
Under a revised plan, the Japanese government says SDF C2 transport planes will deliver blankets and other humanitarian aid, via the United Arab Emirates, to Ukrainian refugees.
Ukraine war

Japan drops plan to send Ukraine refugees aid supplies via India

Military planes to load goods in UAE after Tokyo said India refused landings

26 April 2022
The rush for tech M&As in Asia has slowed to a crawl in China and South Korea. (Source photos by Reuters)
26 April 2022
Engineers repair damaged telecommunications infrastructure in Ukraine. (Photo courtesy of Lifecell)
Ukraine war

Ukraine war effort sustained by unbroken internet lifeline

Local carriers and SpaceX's Starlink keep soldiers and civilians connected

26 April 2022
Ministers attend a joint videoconference about a European data infrastructure project called Gaia-X in Paris in June 2020: The EU wants European data to be stored on European servers.
Opinion

Ukraine war accelerates new era of vertical globalization

Corporations can no longer put profits over politics

25 April 2022
The Azovstal steel plant in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol.
Ukraine war

Ukraine's military says Russian forces trying to storm Azovstal plant

'We are taking casualties, the situation is critical,' commander says

25 April 2022
Wang Yi meets with Sergei Lavrov in Tunxi, China, on March 30: China and Russia have embarked on a diplomatic offense.
Opinion

Xi Jinping has better options than to stand by Vladimir Putin

China's tacit support for the war in Ukraine harms its national interests

24 April 2022
Salmon fishing vessel in Hokkaido, Japan, in 2016. Japan and Russia are expected to sign a fishing quota document on Monday.
23 April 2022