U.S. expects Japan to stop buying Russian energy, Bessent says

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he told Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump expects Japan to stop importing Russian energy.

“Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues pertaining to the U.S.-Japan economic relationship and the Administration’s expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy,” Bessent said on social media platform X after the two met on Wednesday.

Bessent and Kato met on the sidelines of the annual International Monetary Fund meeting, and the Group of Seven and Group of 20 finance leaders’ gatherings held this week in Washington.