Russia decided to cancel peace talks to end the conflict from World War II with Japan because Tokyo unilaterally imposed sanctions on Moscow.
"Given the current situation, Russia has no intention of continuing peace treaty negotiations with Japan because it is not possible to discuss signing such a treaty with a country that has taken an unfriendly and damaging stance." for our interests," TASS quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement on March 21 as saying.
Since World War II, Russia and Japan have not been able to sign a peace treaty. The biggest barrier is the territorial dispute in the southern Kuril Islands (which Japan calls the "Northern Territories"). The disputed islands include: Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and a number of uninhabited islands. Iturup and Kunashir islands cover 93% of the southern Kuril Islands, while Shikotan and Habomai make up the remaining 7%.
The Russian Foreign Ministry yesterday also announced the suspension of negotiations on economic cooperation projects with Japan in the disputed islands and the cessation of visa-free status for Japanese citizens. Moscow said that Japan was responsible for this by pursuing a policy against Russia, unilaterally imposing sanctions against Russia.
As for Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida today criticized Russia's move to cancel the negotiations as "unacceptable".
Russia's move comes as relations with Japan have escalated after Tokyo followed in the footsteps of Western allies in imposing sanctions in protest of Russia's military campaign in Ukraine. Japan has frozen bank accounts and banned entry for many individuals in Russia. Last week, Tokyo also announced plans to abolish most favored nation status with Russia, allowing Japan to impose tariffs on a wider range of Russian goods.
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