Leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations on Sunday committed to ban or phase out the import of Russian oil — the latest step to pressure Moscow into ending its war in Ukraine.

Japan, a resource-poor country that has been importing Russian crude to diversify its supply sources, had been reluctant to prohibit Russian oil imports. But Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the virtual meeting of G7 leaders that his country will take measures to ban such imports "in principle."

The commitment by the entire G7 will "hit hard at the main artery" of the Russian economy and deny President Vladimir Putin the revenue he needs to fund the war, the White House said.