Japan’s unfriendly stance towards Russia, as noted by Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, is creating obstacles to potential agreements between the two nations. Peskov highlighted that given Tokyo’s current position, it is improbable for any accords to be reached without adjustments to their relationship modalities. This comes in the backdrop of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressing intentions to finalize a peace treaty with Russia, despite the strained bilateral ties.
The historical absence of a formal peace treaty between Russia and Japan post-World War II has cast a shadow over their relations. Following Japan’s imposition of sanctions on Russia related to Ukraine, Moscow announced the suspension of peace treaty negotiations with Tokyo on March 21, 2022. Meanwhile, South Korea has raised objections to Japan’s renewed territorial claims over the islets known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan.
South Korea’s foreign ministry strongly protested against Japan’s reiterated territorial claims to Dokdo, emphasizing that such claims are unjust and will not impact South Korea’s sovereignty over the region. The ministry urged Japan to withdraw these claims immediately and warned of firm responses to any provocations. It stressed the importance for Japan to acknowledge Dokdo as an integral part of South Korean territory historically, geographically, and under international law for fostering a forward-looking relationship between Seoul and Tokyo.
