The Russian Foreign Ministry ruled out a dialogue on a peace treaty with Japan because of its course

After the start of a special operation in Ukraine in February 2022, the Japanese government began to pursue an “openly hostile course” towards Russia, which makes dialogue on a peace treaty impossible. This was reported by the Russian Foreign Ministry, writes “RIA News”.

The department emphasized that Moscow will react harshly to any confrontational attacks from Tokyo and will be guided “solely by its own national interests.” The Foreign Ministry recalled that “Russophobic sentiments are being purposefully incited in Japanese society, and joint military activity with the United States and NATO countries is increasing near the Far Eastern borders of our country, including testing the use of strike weapons.”

March 21, 2022 Russian Foreign Ministry stated, which terminates negotiations with the Japanese authorities on concluding a peace treaty due to unilateral sanctions that Tokyo imposed in connection with the special operation in Ukraine. In addition, Moscow canceled visa-free travel for the Japanese to the Kuril Islands and introduced a number of other restrictions regarding Tokyo.

On October 23, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida once again statedthat Tokyo continues to pursue a course towards resolving the territorial problem and concluding a peace treaty between Russia and Japan.

Russia and Japan did not conclude a peace treaty following World War II due to the protracted dispute over the South Kuril Islands. The state of war between the two countries was officially ended in 1956, after which the USSR and Japan resumed diplomatic relations in accordance with the Moscow Declaration. According to the Japanese position, Russia must transfer to Japan the four southern islands of the Kuril chain. Moscow recognizes the 1956 declaration of the USSR, which talks about the possibility of transferring the two islands after the conclusion of a peace treaty.