In the middle of the Ukraine war, Russia is confronted with an old island dispute. Japan is making tough demands and putting pressure on Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin.
Munich/Moscow/Tokyo – Has Russia’s President Vladimir Putin* gotten bogged down with his invasion of Ukraine? This question is being asked more and more frequently in the Ukraine conflict*, while Russian troops continue to bomb major Ukrainian cities. Now the autocratic ruler from the Moscow Kremlin is coming under pressure himself – because of demands from a neighbor.
Southern Kuril Islands: Japan puts pressure on Russia during the Ukraine war
Specifically: Japan’s government has renewed its territorial claims in the territorial dispute with Russia* over the Pacific archipelago of the South Kuril Islands. Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi described the four islands as an “integral part” of Japan, according to the Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun reported on Tuesday.
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Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had previously used this formulation. In the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, his government is returning to language that Kishida’s predecessor, Shinzo Abe, avoided for a decade in hopes of reaching an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The archipelago, which has been disputed for decades, lies between Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan’s northern main island of Hokkaido. Japan had lost the islands to the Soviet Union after surrendering in World War II. Tokyo is reclaiming the islands of Etorofu (Russian: Iturup), Kunashiri (Kunashir), Shikotan (Schikotan) and the Habomai group on the dividing line between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific, which have since been occupied by Russian troops, and for decades described the four islands as an “integral part “ Japans.
Vladimir Putin under pressure: Japan makes demands on Russia
Interim proposals to return two of the four controversial islands as a kind of interim solution were thus rejected. But Abe refrained from using the phrase “an integral part” of Japan during his years in office, signaling Russia a more flexible stance on the dispute in hopes of a historic breakthrough.
According to observers, Kishida’s return to the old language now signals that he is abandoning this hope. The dispute has prevented the conclusion of a peace treaty between the two countries to this day. (pm/dpa) *Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
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