Trade ties during wartime: why the Japanese government visited Moscow
4 June 21:55
In May 2026, representatives of the Japanese government visited Moscow, marking a rare instance of high-level trade engagement between Japan and Russia since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
This was reported by Bloomberg, as cited by "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to Bloomberg, the main purpose of the May 26–27 visit was to discuss the protection of assets belonging to Japanese companies that continue to operate in Russia.
This applies to major companies such as Mitsui & Co. and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
According to the Yale School of Management, dozens of Japanese companies continue to operate in the Russian market despite the complex geopolitical situation.
The Japanese government has repeatedly stated that this visit was not unexpected.
“This time, the issue of new economic cooperation between the two countries was not on the agenda,” noted Hidehiko Ishii, Director of the Russia Division at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
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Negotiations and Participants
During the visit, the Japanese delegation held meetings with representatives of Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development and Ministry of Industry and Trade, as well as with business organizations.
Although Hidehiko Ishii declined to name specific companies or the number of participants, anonymous sources reported that Japanese officials met with representatives of Russian companies, including manufacturers of fertilizers, palladium, and aluminum, as well as suppliers of liquefied natural gas and oil.
This visit underscored the importance of maintaining open channels of communication between Japan and Russia, even as the Russian economy remains under heavy sanctions from the West due to the war.
Japan, as Asia’s second-largest economy, continues to purchase liquefied natural gas from Russia’s Sakhalin-2 project, which is exempt from sanctions.
Ahead of the visit, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry stated that the country would continue to coordinate sanctions against Russia with its G7 allies and that “the current situation does not allow for exploring new forms of cooperation with Russia.”
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