Russia said on Thursday that any dialogue with Japan regarding a peace treaty to formally end World War II could only begin once Tokyo abandoned what Moscow described as a damaging “anti-Russian” stance.
Soviet troops took control of four islands off Hokkaido — known in Russia as the Kurils and in Japan as the Northern Territories — at the end of the war, and they have remained in Moscow’s hands ever since.
Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, in a speech last week, scolded Russia for its “aggression against Ukraine” but also said that Japan maintains “its policy of resolving the territorial issue and concluding a peace treaty.”
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.