Japan and the United States agreed Tuesday to work in close coordination in placing sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said after phone talks with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. The talks were held as the Japanese Finance Ministry froze assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials, such as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and restricted transactions with the Russian central bank. “To protect the foundation of the world order, Japan and the United States agreed to work cl…