To this, the Russian ambassador to Japan called the time right and suggested that the American diplomat might not yet be aware of the Russian position on the Kuriles issue.
“For the information of those who may not yet be aware of the Russian position: Russia does not recognize illegal territorial claims to our southern Kuril Islands and, therefore, any “festivities” related to them,” the Russian Embassy in Japan said in a statement. on Twitter on behalf of a Russian diplomat.
Earlier it was reported that Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin discussed the possibility of restoring and maintaining relations between the two states as part of a meeting with the Hokkaido authorities.
In December 2021, the Russian Foreign Ministry protested to Japan over the opening of an exhibition in Tokyo dedicated to the South Kuriles in the context of Japan's illegal territorial claims to them.