Live updates | Japan joins G-7 effort to quit Russian oil

TOKYO — Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says Japan will slowly phase out Russian oil imports in unity with the Group of Seven’s effort against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Leaders from the G-7 countries met online Sunday and announced their commitment to ban or phase out Russian oil imports in their latest effort to pressure Moscow into ending its aggression on Ukraine.

“It’s an extremely difficult decision for a country that mostly relies on energy imports, including oil,” Kishida told reporters Monday. “But G-7 unity is most important right now.”

Kishida said it will be a gradual and slow process of phasing out Russian oil imports and that details and timeline will be decided later as the process requires securing alternative energy sources.

About 4% of Japanese oil imports come from Russia. Japan has also announced phasing out Russian coal imports.

Japan will not ban imports from its own stakes in oil and natural gas projects in Russia, including those in Sakhalin, Kishida said.

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KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:

— More than 60 feared dead in bombing of Ukrainian school

— “Everything shook”: Last civilians leave Ukraine steel mill

— G-7 leaders vow to ban or cut back on Russian oil imports

— Jill Biden pays surprise visit to Ukraine, meets first lady

Follow all AP stories on Russia’s war on Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations chief says he is “appalled” at the reported attack on a school in the Ukrainian town of Bilohorivka, where many people were apparently seeking shelter from fighting.

A U.N. spokesperson said Sunday that...