Japan has formally protested statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he blamed Tokyo for the deterioration of relations between the two countries.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara Minoru responded to Putin's accusations during a press conference.
Kihara emphasized that the current difficult state of relations between Russia and Japan is directly linked to Moscow's ongoing war against Ukraine. He firmly rejected the claims that Japan is responsible for the decline in bilateral ties.
Furthermore, the Chief Cabinet Secretary reiterated that Tokyo has not changed its position regarding the Kuril Islands—referred to by Japan as the "Northern Territories"—and remains committed to its policy of resolving the territorial dispute.
It should be noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin, while answering journalists' questions following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, claimed that Tokyo is entirely responsible for the worsening of Russia-Japan relations. Putin alleged that Japan has been systematically damaging ties with Moscow without any justification.
The dispute between the two nations over the Kuril Islands dates back to the end of World War II. Since the islands came under Soviet control in 1945, the territorial disagreement has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal peace treaty, leaving the issue as a long-standing point of contention in their diplomatic relations.
