MOSCOW, February 8. /TASS/. The resumption of talks on the peace treaty with Tokyo is impossible in the current environment, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told TASS.
"In the current situation, the resumption of dialogue on the above-mentioned treaty is categorically impossible," he said, when asked about the prospects of the resumption of talks on the peace treaty in the foreseeable future.
According to the senior diplomat, relations with Japan are currently at an unprecedented low level "because of the short-sighted policy of the Japanese government." "The key condition for the beginning of the movement toward their normalization is Tokyo’s refusal from the hostile policy in respect of Russia rather than any ephemeral ‘signals.’ So far, there are no topics for a serious political discussion with Japan," he said.
He noted that Russia and Japan had not been negotiating a peace treaty as an agreement, which is signed after the end of hostilities. "They were negotiating a modern fundamental and comprehensive document on peace, friendship and good-neighborly relations geared to lay the basis for long-term development of the entire spectrum of Russian-Japanese ties, commit to paper the sides’ intention to bring closer their approaches to the key international and regional problems, specify mutual guarantees of non-participation in third parties’ hostile initiatives," the diplomat said.
"But after the beginning of the special military operation in February 2022, the Japanese government blatantly violated the norms of diplomatic ethics and principles of interstate relations and embarked on an openly unfriendly course toward Russia. More than 20 packages of illegitimate sanctions have already been adopted. Russophobic moods are being deliberately fueled in the country, anti-Russian propaganda is being conducted in international and regionals formats. Military activity is being increased jointly with the United States and other NATO member states near our Far Eastern borders. Political, economic and logistics assistance is being extended to the Kiev regime in violation of Japan’s constitutional and legislative restrictions," Rudenko added.
Russia and Japan have been negotiating a peace treaty after World War II since the mid-20th century. The main stumbling block to this is the issue of the ownership of the southern Kuril Islands. After the end of World War II, all Kuril Islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union. However, Japan challenged the ownership of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan islands and a number of uninhibited islands of the Lesser Kuril Ridge called the Habomai Islands in Japan.
In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a joint declaration on ceasing the state of war. The two countries resumed diplomatic and other relations, however no peace treaty has been signed until now.
The Russian foreign ministry has repeatedly said that Russia’s sovereignty over these islands, which is committed to paper in international documents, cannot be called to question.
The Russian foreign ministry said in March 2022 that Moscow was stopping peace treaty talks with Tokyo after it imposed unilateral sanctions on Russia over the situation in Ukraine.