Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Japan for the complete breakdown of peace treaty negotiations between the two nations during comments to reporters in Bishkek. He stated that Tokyo bears full responsibility for the halt in diplomatic contacts.
According to the Russian president, Moscow was previously prepared to continue discussions regarding a formal peace agreement. Russia was also willing to address practical matters, including arrangements for Japanese citizens to visit the Kuril Islands.
Putin noted that Moscow had reacted positively to numerous issues during earlier discussions between the two governments. He stressed that Russian officials had approached bilateral relations with great care and had not taken any steps to deteriorate ties.
Territorial Dispute and Peace Treaty History
Putin emphasized that while the signing of a peace treaty remains a complex issue that Russia considers closed, Moscow had still been willing to hold discussions with Japanese authorities. However, he said Japanese leaders began step by step worsening relations without any provocation from the Russian side.
Russia and Japan have never officially signed a peace treaty to formally end World War II. The primary obstacle remains a long-standing territorial dispute over a chain of Pacific islands known in Russia as the Southern Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories. Soviet forces seized the four disputed islands at the end of the conflict in 1945.
In previous years, negotiations between Moscow and Tokyo included discussions on joint economic activities and visa free travel programs. These arrangements allowed former Japanese residents to travel to the islands to visit ancestral graves.
Security Strains and Diplomatic Freeze
The president questioned why Russia should be held responsible when Tokyo initiated the deterioration in diplomatic relations out of nowhere. He added that Moscow had consistently maintained a careful approach toward its neighbor.
The remarks follow recent comments by Nikolai Nozdrev, the Russian ambassador to Japan. The diplomat stated that Tokyo has been taking deliberate actions aimed at undermining Russian national security.
Putin delivered his remarks in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, where he met with members of the news media. Formal diplomatic talks between Russia and Japan remain frozen as both nations maintain opposing positions on territorial sovereignty and regional security policy.
