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20220303 Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Nikkei Asia that sanctions against Russia should include blocking its largest bank, Sberbank, and urged Japan to close its ports to Russian ships. © Reuters

EIJI FURUKAWA, Contributing writer

March 4, 2022 02:31 JST

KYIV, Ukraine -- The U.S.-led sanctions against Russia should be stepped up further, including blocking Sberbank -- the largest Russian bank -- from the SWIFT payment network, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Thursday in an interview with Nikkei Asia.