Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida answers questions from a lawmaker of his Liberal Democratic Party at Feb. 28 meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee. (Koichi Ueda)

Japan is considering imposing economic sanctions against high-ranking Belarusian officials for their country’s role in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and is also discussing whether to accept Ukrainian refugees.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned Belarus at a Feb. 28 meeting of the Upper House Budget Committee and said the government will soon decide whether to impose sanctions.

It was not clear which Belarusian officials would be targeted.

The United States and EU nations have announced sanctions against Belarusian individuals and entities over the Russian invasion.

Kishida also blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin for announcing that he put his country’s nuclear forces on high alert after the West slapped economic sanctions against Moscow.

“Referring to the possible use of nuclear weapons is a dangerous act that will only further destabilize the situation,” Kishida said.

Crowds of Ukrainians have fled mainly westward to escape the full-scale attack that started on Feb. 24.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Feb. 28 that Japan will make an appropriate response on whether to accept refugees from Ukraine as well as Russians facing persecution in their homeland for opposing the invasion.

Matsuno said the government plans to grant refugee status to Ukrainian expatriates living in Japan who apply for asylum and are qualified for protection.

He also said that even if recognition is denied under the international convention on the status of refugees, the Japanese government plans to allow Ukrainians seeking asylum to remain in Japan as cases requiring humanitarian consideration.

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