March 22, 2022
Japan has slammed Russia for its decision to withdraw from negotiations aimed at signing a formal World War II peace treaty because of Tokyo's tough stance against Moscow's military action in Ukraine.
"The latest situation has been all caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on March 22, adding that Russia's response was "extremely unjustifiable and absolutely unacceptable."
The issue dates back to World War II, as Russia and Japan have never signed a peace treaty to formally end the conflict.
One of the key issues is competing claims over territorial rights to the Kurile Islands, which Tokyo calls its Northern Territories. Soviet troops seized them from Japan at the end of the war, and Russia still occupies the island group.
Following Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, the authorities in Tokyo voiced strong condemnation and have joined with Western partners in placing sanctions on Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said it broke off talks "due to the impossibility of discussing the core document on bilateral relations with a country that has taken an openly hostile position and is striving to cause harm to the interests of our country."
The statement also said Russia was ending a visa-free regime for Japanese people to visit the disputed islands. Many Japanese have traveled to the visit the graves of their ancestors.
No comments:
Post a Comment