TOKYO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae

Takaichi told U.S. President Donald Trump that banning Russian

LNG imports would be difficult during their meeting in Tokyo,

the Nikkei business daily reported on Wednesday, citing Japanese

government officials.

Russian LNG accounts for nearly 9% of Japan's total LNG

imports, with Japanese companies Mitsui ( MITSF ) and Mitsubishi ( MSBHF )

having stakes in the Sakhalin-2 project.

Before Trump's Asia trip this week, the U.S. urged buyers of

Russian energy, including Japan, to cease imports, and put

sanctions on Moscow's two biggest oil exporters, Rosneft

and Lukoil, in a bid to push the Kremlin

into talks to end the Ukraine war.

According to Nikkei, Takaichi, elected as Japan's first

female prime minister last week, told Trump that if Japan

withdraws, China and Russia will only be happy, asking the U.S.

for understanding of Japan's energy needs.

China and India are top buyers of Russian energy.

Japan has stepped up U.S. LNG purchases in the last few

years as it tries to diversify away from its key supplier

Australia and prepare for the expiry of supply contracts with

Russia's Sakhalin-2 LNG project.

Most supply from Sakhalin-2 ends in the period from 2028

to 2033. Replacing those supplies would be costly and cause

higher electricity prices, Japan's industry minister

said

last week.

Japan buys less than 1% of its oil imports from Russia

under a sanctions waiver due to expire in December, with the

bulk of its oil supply covered by the Middle East.