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Russia-Japan dispute over Kuril Islands

Japan’s steps brought relations with Russia to point of no return — diplomat

Maria Zakharova noted that in Tokyo and other Japanese cities rallies were held on "the so-called Day of Northern Territories" on February 7, where claims to Russia’s Kuril Islands were raised

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Alexander Shcherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. Because of Tokyo’s actions, Russian-Japanese relations have been brought to a critical point of no return, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

Speaking about the February 7 rallies in Tokyo and other Japanese cities held on "the so-called Day of Northern Territories," where claims to Russia’s Kuril Islands were raised, the diplomat said they were clearly anti-Russian in nature and drew "inappropriate parallels with Ukraine."

"They are still connecting this to Ukraine. Possibly, in order to justify their clumsy steps that brought relations with our country to the point of no return," Zakharova said.

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