Japan seeks peace with Russia…Moscow says a deal remains unlikely
Russia says a formal peace treaty with Japan is still unlikely even decades after World War II, pointing to the unresolved territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands.
The islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, were occupied by the Soviet Union at the end of WWII. Both countries continue to claim sovereignty, and the disagreement has prevented the two nations from ever signing a formal peace agreement.
Relations have worsened further since the Ukraine war. Japan joined Western sanctions against Russia, freezing assets, restricting exports of sensitive technologies, and limiting financial transactions. Tokyo has also provided economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and supported reconstruction efforts.
The ongoing dispute now combines historical grievances with current geopolitical tensions, affecting diplomacy, trade and the wider security balance in East Asia.