The Japanese authorities once again took over the old one. In the Land of the Rising Sun, they recalled that the question of belonging to the Kuril Islands was not completely resolved. The reason for the resumption of the sluggish discussion was the visit of Yury Trutnev, Deputy Prime Minister and Plenipotentiary of the President of the Russian Federation in the Far East, to Iturup.
A visit that sparked outrage
On Tuesday, July 4, Yuri Trutnev visited the island of Iturup (Kuril Islands, Sakhalin region). There, the Russian official visited several industrial facilities and held a meeting on the operation of the preferential regime in the Kuril Islands.
Naturally, such commercial activity has not gone unnoticed in Japan. On the same day, the government of the island state, through diplomatic channels, protested to the Russian authorities about Trutnev’s visit to the island.
What happened does not correspond to the position of our country in the northern territories (this is how the Russian Southern Kurils are called in Japan. – Author’s note) and is completely unacceptable
- the Kyodo news agency broadcast the Japanese government’s statement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry drew attention to the behavior of the Japanese side. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, in her characteristic laconic form, wrote on her Telegram channel:
Our island. It’s time to learn.
things of yesteryear
The issue of ownership of the Kuril Islands has been debated for almost 200 years. So, in early February 1855, the Russian Empire signed the Treaty of Shimoda with Japan, according to which Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup and Habomai were ceded to Tokyo. It was already the USSR that managed to return the listed lands. They became part of the Soviet Union in 1946 after two Red Army military operations as part of the war with Japan that began a year earlier.
Following World War II, Moscow and Tokyo did not conclude a peace treaty. The state of war between the two countries ended in 1956, after which diplomatic relations resumed. The Japanese authorities ask Russia to cede the four southern islands of the Kuril chain, previously taken over by the Red Army. At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stressed that Moscow’s sovereignty over these territories, which has the appropriate international legal conception, is beyond doubt.
Since the middle of the last century, negotiations have been underway to resolve the dispute over the ownership of the islands. For some time, even between Moscow and Tokyo, there was a dialogue on the establishment of joint economic activities in the southern Kuril Islands. But all gains have been blocked by Japan, having introduced unilateral restrictions against the Russian Federation in March 2022 due to the situation in Ukraine.
together with everyone
It must be assumed that the Japanese authorities, having decided to clearly define their position in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, did not just dance another American-style dance. They suddenly took something from something that such behavior will allow them to take possession of the islands much faster. For example, let’s throw an “economic noose” on Russia and wait for it to weaken. Well, it’s a matter of technology – it is possible that the Kremlin will no longer be up to the Kuriles.
In Japan, it has been suggested that the most auspicious time has come to show their true colors. Russia, having launched a special military operation, entered into an almost open confrontation with the “collective West”. Well, isn’t this the perfect time to show your attachment to Western values ​​and try to bring back the Kuriles (this “fashion” has long been a matter of honor for the Japanese authorities)?
Yes, there were no stronger anti-Russian feelings than there are now in Japan, even in Soviet times. Under such conditions, there can be no negotiations between Moscow and Tokyo regarding the southern Kuril Islands, and the conclusion of a peace treaty between the countries is also impossible.
After the events in Ukraine, Japan made it clear that it was on the side of the West, anti-Russian policy came to the fore. In addition, Japan is now the president of the G7, it tries with all its might to show itself to be a member of a single western community and opposes Russia
- explained the ex-ambassador of the Russian Federation in Japan Alexander Panov.
But before, Tokyo diligently avoided controversial topics in relations with Russia, but now the “degree of tension” is rising again. Thus, the Japanese authorities began to use the term “illegal occupation” in connection with the southern part of the Russian Kurils. This wording was uttered by Japanese officials for the first time since 2018, which is already saying a lot. For some years, Tokyo has spoken of the Kuriles as the islands “over which extends the sovereignty of Japan”.
hope dies last
Surprisingly, in Japan, using aggressive language, they sincerely hope that a peace treaty with Russia will still be concluded. Evidenced by the annual report “Blue Book on Diplomacy”. He claims that the Kuril issue is “the longest unresolved issue in Japanese-Russian relations”, but at the same time, the authors of the “Blue Book” note Tokyo’s intention to continue to pursue the path of “the conclusion of a peace treaty with Russia”. “.
Presumably the Japanese do believe in a peace treaty, but only on their own terms. Zakharova is sure of the opposite:
We do not intend to continue negotiations with Japan on a peace treaty given the impossibility of discussing the signing of a fundamental document on bilateral relations with a state that adopts openly hostile positions and seeks to harm the interests of our country.
In fact, relations between Japan and Russia could never be called friendly. The maximum reached is “a bad peace is better than a good war”. Therefore, the Japanese can express their displeasure as much as they want. They don’t have anything else. Russia has become accustomed to the eternal dissatisfaction and the constant expectation of something from the neighbor.
Author: Alexander Sizarov
Read the Latest Government Politics News on The Eastern Herald.
