Japan gets tough on Russia, accuses it of illegally annexing the Kuriles

Tokyo believes that the Kuril Islands, a string of four volcanic islands, are Japanese territories "illegally" occupied by Russia.

Dr. Igor Smolyar, NOAA/NODC

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, relations have deteriorated more and more between Russia and Japan, the latter supporting Western sanctions against Moscow.

Old territorial disputes resurface between the two countries and in its annual Foreign Ministry publication, Tokyo accuses Moscow of having "illegally" annexed the Kurils, small islands in the north of Japan, invaded by the Soviet army in the very last days of the Second World War.

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For

, the Kuril Islands, a string of four volcanic islands are Japanese territories occupied " 

 " by Russia.

This is written in black and white in the new

 annual diplomatic “

For nearly twenty years, Japan had not hardened its tone to this point.

However, if Russia and Japan have never signed a peace treaty since the end of the Second World War, it is because of this territorial dispute.

It is the Russians who have controlled

since 1945, almost uninhabited islands, neighboring the large Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Abandonment of talks between the two countries

Today, the war in Ukraine seems to make matters worse.

Japan participates in Western sanctions, to the chagrin of Moscow, which in March abruptly

with Tokyo, judging it "

".

The fact that Japan decided, at the beginning of April, to cease its

of course did not help matters.

It is therefore out of the question to continue negotiations on a possible peace treaty.

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