The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to Japanese rudeness. But it’s too early to relax
The Russian Foreign Ministry today broke its silence after repeated public demands for clarification regarding statements coming from Japan that there is a “turning point” in the issue of the status of the southern Kuril Islands, which Tokyo considers not Russian, but Japanese territory.
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Morgulov today at a meeting with the Japanese Ambassador rejected claims to the islands.
“...The invariability of Russia’s principled position was emphasized that a solution to the problem of a peace treaty is possible in the conditions of creating a qualitatively new atmosphere in Russian-Japanese relations, must be supported by the people of both countries and be based on Tokyo’s unconditional recognition of the results of the Second World War in full, including sovereignty of the Russian Federation over the southern Kuril Islands,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Russian political scientist Nikolai Platoshkin believes that the foreign ministry had to come up with clear explanations after the public demanded to respond to territorial claims coming from Tokyo.
“Very, very good news, friends! Today, the Japanese Ambassador was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry and, finally, they drew his attention to the boorish statements of Japanese Prime Minister Abe, about which we have sounded the alarm here.
In the Foreign Ministry's message about the meeting with the ambassador, it is certainly encouraging that any peace treaty with Japan is planned to be concluded only on the basis of unconditional recognition by the Japanese of the results of World War II and Russia's sovereignty over the Kuril Islands. That's how it should be!
Thanks to Deputy Minister Igor Vladimirovich Morgulov for this shake-up for the Japanese, which is long overdue! Thank you all, friends, for your active life position, for your readiness for rallies and pickets. This, of course, played a big role in the activation of our Foreign Ministry.
But it’s too early to relax.
Ahead are Russian-Japanese negotiations at the level of foreign ministers and negotiations between Putin and Abe. Although, by the way, after Abe’s rudeness, these negotiations should have been cancelled.
We will monitor all this closely. Combat readiness is weakening slightly. but it is not cancelled,” comments Platoshkin.
He warns against illusions that Japan, in response to the hypothetical acquisition of the Southern Kuril Islands, could achieve the withdrawal of US bases from its territory.
“A possible peace treaty with Russia and the transfer to Japan of the two South Kuril Islands will IN NO WAY affect the Japanese-American treaty of 1960. But it is precisely on the basis of this 1960 treaty that the United States keeps 40 thousand soldiers and officers in Japan. The Americans expressed support for Japan. This is a note to those of our “jingo-patriots” who stupidly and without any basis claim that in exchange for the islands, Putin will achieve the withdrawal of American troops from Japan. He won't achieve it! Moreover, Lavrov does not even raise such a question. And I know this not from the media, believe me. After all, there are a lot of patriots and worthy people in the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Abe has now put everything on the line. He wants to achieve the concession of the islands during negotiations between the head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry and Lavrov on January 14 and then sign an agreement with Putin in Sochi approximately on January 22-23.”
As PolitNavigator reported, a mass rally against the transfer of the Kuril Islands to Japan was announced in Moscow.
If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.
Thank you!
Now the editors are aware.