Japan Deems Putin's Statements on Dialogue Terms Completely Unacceptable

Russian President Vladimir Putin has explained the impossibility of continuing negotiations between Moscow and Tokyo over the Kuril Islands by referencing Japan's stance on the conflict in Ukraine. Japanese officials have termed this a "blame-shifting attempt." Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stated that Putin's accusations against Japan are "extremely unjust and completely unacceptable," as reported by Nifty.

"The current situation has arisen due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Any attempt to shift the blame onto the Japanese side is extremely unfair and absolutely unacceptable," Suga said. He clarified that Tokyo aims to resolve the "Northern Territories issue" (pertaining to the southern part of the Kuril Islands) and sign a peace treaty between Russia and Japan.

The Japanese government commented on Putin's interview with representatives of global news agencies, during which the Russian President claimed there are no conditions for continuing dialogue between Tokyo and Moscow. According to Putin, Russia has done nothing to complicate the process, asserting that all problems have arisen due to Tokyo.

"Japan has joined calls for Russia's strategic defeat, and you think these are good conditions for negotiating a peace treaty?" he asked a Japanese journalist. The reporter also questioned Putin regarding the negative consequences of a future visit to the islands, to which the president replied, "I do not understand why I should be ashamed to visit one of the territories of the Russian Federation."

The Japanese government has expressed its intention to support Ukraine and resolve the Kuril Islands issue through negotiations with Russia. However, after Japan imposed sanctions in March 2022, Russian authorities refused to continue dialogue. The Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized that Russia has no territorial disputes with anyone, including Japan. Tokyo has responded by reminding that until recently, Moscow had been engaging in dialogue precisely because the territorial issue between their countries remains unresolved.