The Kuril issue is actually resolved: Russia is losing two islands

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According to Russian news agencies and Japanese media, negotiations between Russia and Japan on a peace treaty have passed into technical phase.





At a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Japanese Prime Minister agreed on a new mechanism to solve the problem of a peace treaty between the two countries.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Igor Morgulov and Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan Takeo Mori have been appointed special representatives negotiating a peace treaty. The foreign ministers of Russia and Japan, Sergey Lavrov and Taro Kono, will oversee the work of the special representatives.

As expected, before the next visit of Shinzo Abe to Russia, if there is such an opportunity, it is planned to hold a meeting between the Foreign Ministers - Sergey Lavrov and Taro Kono.

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that changing the format of the negotiations is not radically new, it is only a matter of clarifying this format.

Nevertheless, the appointment of two special representatives means that the leaders of Russia and Japan are the main political The decision was made, and now the issue can be referred to technical specialists.

The essence of the political decision is that Russia and Japan agreed to act in the spirit of the well-known 1956 Declaration, according to which Russia (in Article 9 of the Declaration - USSR) “in meeting the wishes of Japan and taking into account the interests of the Japanese state, agrees to transfer the Habomai Islands and Shikotan Islands to Japan with the fact, however, that the actual transfer of these islands to Japan will be made after the conclusion of a peace treaty. ”

Earlier, Japan objected to proposals to first conclude a peace treaty, and only then proceed to discuss issues of disputed territories. Actually, this is the political progress - the parties returned to the positions indicated by them before the aggravation of Russian-Japanese relations that arose as a result of Japan's conclusion of an agreement on defense cooperation with the United States.

However, the Japanese newspaper Mainity, announcing the appointment of special representatives, stipulates that it will be necessary to resolve issues raised by the Russian president, in particular, the number and conditions of transfer of the islands, as well as which country will have sovereignty over them, and what to do with the problem possible deployment of US military bases on the transferred territory.

Recall that previously, the Asahi Japanese newspaper reported on Shinzo Abe’s promise to Vladimir Putin not to deploy US military bases on the disputed Kuril Islands if they are handed over to Japan.

Apparently, Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe concluded a "gentleman's agreement" - to act in the spirit of the 1956 Declaration, and to implement its article 9 in full, if public opinion of the two countries allows.

In this form, a compromise is a concession on both sides - Moscow agrees to transfer the islands of Habomai and Shikotan, and Tokyo withdraws claims about Fr. Iturup and Fr. Kunashir.

The main problem here is public opinion in both countries. The Russians would not want to transfer any of the disputed islands to Japan at all, and the official position of the Russian Foreign Ministry is based on this - these territories are under the sovereignty of Russia, and the Japanese would like to delimit on the Kuril ridge according to the treatise of 1855, that is, to get the Habomai islands, and about. Shikotan, and about. Iturup, and about. Kunashir.

An interesting question is which country will have sovereignty over the islands of Habomai and Fr. Shikotan, initiated by Vladimir Putin, when he commented on the contents of the 1956 Declaration.


From international practice, in addition to the most obvious answers “of course, Russia”, or “of course, Japan”, more exotic forms are known, such as co-ownership (condominium), the so-called "Free territory" under international control (well, for example, like the "free territory of Trieste" that existed some time after the Second World War, a demilitarized zone, leaving the islands under Russian sovereignty, but transferring them to Japan for 99 years, transferring the islands to Japanese sovereignty and conclusion of an agreement on leasing them by Russia for 99 years, etc.

In the end, the form in which the "gentlemen's agreement" can be implemented is not so important. Another thing is much more important - but why does Russia need it at all, given that neither the country's population, nor political parties and the movement to transfer the disputed territories of Japan do not want, and the peace treaty is not so necessary, since the state of war between Moscow and Tokyo has already been terminated by the same 1956 Declaration?

Neither now nor in the short term does Russia need this in any way. If since August 1945, Japan has quietly coexisted with Russia, without the possession of the “Northern Territories”, most likely, it will do just as well without these few rocky patches of land washed by the ocean.

However, how long will Japan survive as a pro-American puppet state? Although this definition is probably offensive to the Japanese, now both the EU and Japan are sitting under the American strategic umbrella and are generally independent, depending on Washington.

At the same time, a tendency toward separation from the US and NATO is gaining strength in Europe, and over time, with a horizon of 50-75 years, the EU will likely become an independent world center of power. The same reasoning applies to Japan, and then the question arises - how friendly will a truly independent powerful Japan be to Russia?

However, Japan, which settled the territorial issue with Russia to mutual satisfaction, if it leaves the American strategic umbrella (and then it ceases to be “pro-American”), represents a potentially very advantageous international factor for Russia, perhaps an interesting regional partner, partly as a counterbalance China, partly as opposed to the United States.
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  1. 0
    3 December 2018 13: 56
    And someone said that the GDP "does not trade in land" .... I agree, "does not trade", he exchanges them for meaningless pieces of paper .... Yes
    1. +3
      3 December 2018 14: 17
      This is called "One Baba Said". Only after all, not every word can be trusted, and the media will lie about anything, just to increase their rating.
  2. +5
    3 December 2018 14: 18
    A spokesman for Putin has already said that there can be no talk of any transfer of sovereignty over the Kuril Islands to Japan. Putin will not do anything harmful to Russia, and this is fraught, he is not crazy ...
    1. +1
      3 December 2018 20: 16
      Well, if Peskov said this, then it’s for sure that the islands are Pimp. Like there at the grave at parting: Farewell, family and friends! Is it such a subtle see tactic, or strategy? - in the west we grow, in the east we lose. So the worm creeps underground, here it eats the earth, pops up from there, - physics, however :)))
    2. +1
      4 December 2018 22: 47
      Like Orwell: is truth perceived as extremism during a total lie ?!
    3. +1
      5 December 2018 07: 26
      Quote: av58
      Putin will not do anything harmful to Russia, and this is fraught, he is not crazy ...

      Let's stop fantasizing and objectively look at the actions of our president over 18 years: half of military schools have been closed, half of the hospital bed capacity has been reduced, a third of polyclinics and a third of schools have been disbanded, retirees, prices, taxes and billionaire friends of Putin can not even be mentioned. in what sense did you write about HARM to Russia? Where is the benefit? Crimea?! Donbass ?! But they brought political harm for another 2-3 terms, even to future presidents after Putin! Maybe you made a reservation, wanted to say "it will not do anything, USEFUL for Russia", or maybe you are just a Kremlin roll on a salary, that's easy to believe in ...
  3. +8
    3 December 2018 15: 03
    Once Gorbachev entered into a "gentlemen's agreement" on the non-expansion of NATO ...
  4. +6
    3 December 2018 15: 41
    The question is what the Japanese promised for this. Khabomai is a rock that I don’t know now, in the late 80s and early 90s, in my opinion there was a small border guard with one tank even (apparently to greatly surprise a possible enemy landing there), a mountain of garbage that is being washed by the stream from Japan , and nothing more, on Shikotan a fishing pier is gouged, an airfield, military facilities and a couple of civilians, who are mainly employed there, are really few. The weather and living conditions are disgusting, although recently something seems to have improved, but it is radically unlikely ... so geographically these two islands are not of great value. Moreover, even in the case of a transfer, the status of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk as an internal RF is maintained, at least it should be based on geography (see map). The deployment of US bases, even in theory, with their presence in Japan itself, will not change much strategically. They can’t be large there, and would be under a direct cross and control from the territory of the Russian Federation. This is so, in fact. That is, if EVEN these islands somehow passed to the Japanese, the situation for the Russian Federation does not change dramatically.
    But Kunashir and Iturup are a completely different matter, therefore, I hope that nobody is even going to partially transfer them to anyone or how ...
    1. 0
      4 December 2018 09: 39
      Everything would be so or almost so, but there is one "but", these are the consequences of any slightest concession to the Japanese, as the proverb says: "... give the wolf a finger, chop off the whole hand ..", and given the "case law" of the West, we are not enough will not seem!
    2. 0
      4 December 2018 22: 58
      Pishenkov, here you go! Even with my liberal approach, I considered the possibility of undermining from the islands under the mainland of our immense homeland. What if in the undermining of the Americans they planted explosives? Remember how in the beginning of the 17th century in the Sergiev Posad Lavra was protected from the Poles. When the Poles dug a tunnel under the tower, two peasants sacrificed their lives, made their way into the tunnel and blew the supply of gunpowder ahead of schedule. Here we have gathered all as one heroes of Russia, to not let and do not give their creed. I invite you, as secretary of the meeting, to declare a record of volunteers, with whom it is necessary not to use the word and language, but to repeat the feat of the truly glorious peasants of the illiterate men with their ass and life.
    3. +1
      5 December 2018 12: 17
      A. Pishenoff! What kind you are, take yes give. No, my friend, these are not just stones, but Russian stones, mined by Russian blood in several generations.
      Not to mention the economic interests of Russia in the waters of those around them.
      And most importantly - giving the little finger, you give the whole hand. And there, others will catch up.
      If Putin gives these two islands away, he will become a traitor.
      1. +1
        5 December 2018 23: 15
        Whose economic interests are these? Russia? Or those comrades who buy villas, yachts, castles in a foreign country? Do you think the guard will take you to the villa? They won’t take it, everything is tough there, first Aboriginal citizens are hired.
  5. +4
    3 December 2018 16: 09
    What the hell are you doing, people? They will never give up the islands. In case of transfer there will be problems with the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Do we need it? stop
    1. +4
      3 December 2018 18: 08
      Quote: Verkhomnapule
      what kind of boil, people? They will never give up the islands.

      Well, they gave Damansky to the Chinese and didn’t even frown, plus a bunch of islands on the Amur, but this is later ...
      https://topwar.ru/110651-kto-otdal-amurskie-ostrova-kitayu.html
    2. +2
      3 December 2018 19: 14
      ..there will be problems with the Sea of ​​Okhotsk ....

      We look carefully at the map. .
      Just the same problems with the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, in the case of the transfer of the islands of Habomai and Shikotan, will not. Problems will be if Russia loses about. Iturup and Fr. Kunashir.
      If Japan agrees to the conditions of Russia. And he will not demand about. Iturup and Fr. Kunashir, and limited to Habomai and Shikotan, this can be considered a diplomatic victory of Russia. And another argument on the borders of Russia will be less.
      1. 0
        4 December 2018 23: 00
        I'm for, on what platform are we voting?
    3. 0
      3 December 2018 20: 20
      Maybe you don’t need to, but who will ask you? As with retirement, you have to put up with it and wait for the next one to be given when the money runs out. Well, the Japanese at least ennoble them.
    4. 0
      5 December 2018 12: 18
      To me - definitely not! But Putin and K - it seems that he simply doesn’t want to give.
  6. +3
    3 December 2018 16: 46
    When polls are published with "70% of the population of Russia approves the transfer of the islands", then this is clearly a propaganda veil for the decision already made.
    1. 0
      3 December 2018 18: 09
      Quote: Altona
      When polls are published with "70% of the population of Russia approves the transfer of the islands", then this is clearly a propaganda veil for the decision already made.

      Churilov would go there - it would be 200%, even the dead approve of all the decisions of the "ep" and vote for the "ep" ...
      1. 0
        3 December 2018 18: 11
        Churova, in the sense of ...
  7. +3
    3 December 2018 18: 17
    The title-approval of the article is broken by the author in the last paragraphs.
    And carefully look at the map which islands - Khabomai and Shikotan - are considered by Putin for joint development without transfer to Japanese sovereignty. Terms are prepared and will be accepted only by mutual agreement.
    Today, the terms of the PEACEFUL AGREEMENT are being worked out!
  8. +2
    3 December 2018 18: 41
    Russia Kuril Islands does not lose and the question is NOT RESOLVED !!!
    Japanese Wishlist have nothing to do with Russia's right to these islands.

    It is a US imposed on the Japanese these CLAIMS to the Russian islands, so that then take them away from japan and plant American military bases there, to BAN Russia in our water area!

    The territorial issue for Russia Does not exist, and there are American CRIMINAL ambitions establishing global dominance in the world, including due to the capture of the Russian islands of the Kuril chain!

    All US capture plans islands of the Kuril ridge failed with a DEATHING crash.
    Americans will never get Russian islands!

    Russia will push for Tokyo UNSPECIFIED RECOGNITION results of the Second World War.
    Russia DOES NOT TRADE your national interests!
    Kuril Islands FOREVER as part of Russia and always will be Russian! Hurrah!
    Japanese language American ultimatums - This is not the way Japan should go towards Russia!
    It's time for Japan to move on into the language of PEACE and mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia, without regard to the WILD US pressure!
    1. +3
      3 December 2018 19: 26
      It is the United States that imposed these CLAIMS on the Japanese ...

      I agree and support your patriotic attitude. drinks But ... feel
      Teach materiel.
      Khrushchev signed the transfer of the islands of Khabomai and Shikotan. But provided, first, a peace treaty. This is spelled out in the 1956 Declaration. And Russia, as is known, is the successor of the USSR. And the obligations of the Union must be fulfilled.
      But after the signing of the Declaration of 1956, the United States and imposed on the Japanese, so that they are also about. Iturup and Fr. Kunashir demanded.
      If the Japanese agree to fulfill only the provisions of the 1956 Declaration, then this will be a victory for Russia. good
      1. 0
        3 December 2018 23: 56
        "Victory"? Well, well ... But what about the "royal gold" stolen by the Japanese, on which they built their fleet, which successfully confronted the Americans and their allies for 2 years of World War? Does Russia also have a "victory" in this matter? wink Some "victories" in Russia, as if without trousers from such victories, would not have remained, poor ... Yes Why, in contrast to the "island" problem, not raise the "golden" question to the Japanese? What is "gut"? Or does Russia have a lot of land and will not become poorer from the loss of two islands?
    2. 0
      4 December 2018 23: 03
      Japanese is very difficult, because you correctly said:

      The Japanese LANGUAGE of American ultimatums is not the way Japan should go in relation to Russia!
  9. -4
    3 December 2018 20: 25
    You are not afraid that your wife might inadvertently poison you, or you can cause an inappropriate injury during caresses - there is simply a high probability that she is an American spy. I would be afraid in your place. In addition to jokes, American tentacles have penetrated further than you think.
    1. Owl
      0
      4 December 2018 10: 16
      I had a wife who could really poison in order to take possession of the apartment. It only bothered me that I was not alone ....
      1. 0
        4 December 2018 15: 41
        Cool! The evening ceases to be languid! :)
  10. +3
    4 December 2018 00: 12
    Well, all this is still written with a pitchfork on water !!! Yes, and we do not know all the alignments so just speculation.
  11. -1
    4 December 2018 08: 28
    We lived without Japanese before and will live on. Why do we need this peace treaty? The Japanese will immediately let the Americans in there, there will be a military base there. Do we need it? We need to collect land that was squandered after the collapse of the USSR, and not give away to various "friends" who will betray them immediately in any trouble.
    We need to demand from Japan to provide a piece of land to the Ainu and build their base there. Such a policy would be right.
    1. -5
      4 December 2018 09: 10
      Abandoned all the land collected, except for chernozem agricultural land does not develop anywhere. And we really need to demand a base, we will grow cabbage there, or a burdock, - also good - to rub into the head - if there are no more brains, it will not hurt the hair in any case.
      1. +1
        6 December 2018 11: 39
        Quote: Oleg9999
        except for chernozem agricultural does not develop anywhere

        it doesn’t develop for humans, it will develop for nature, and letting the Japanese go to our lands will be a Japanese anthill. They need to reduce the population, and not crawl apart at the expense of Russian lands.
    2. -1
      4 December 2018 23: 05
      Sign up for Pishenkov as volunteers! The first ten will give a piece of land to the Ainu as a reward.
  12. 0
    4 December 2018 09: 28
    All this is very strange and looks ridiculous: it looks like a master would solve "boundary issues" with someone else's slave, but isn't it, because Japan is actually not independent and is under US occupation, and what can you talk about with such puppets !!!? ?? I very much doubt that Vladimir Putin would be so short-sighted and not sophisticated in modern world politics to hand out "left and right" the lands of Russia, even for the sake of concluding an agreement.
    1. -1
      4 December 2018 10: 41
      Answer the question, pliz - if Russia is independent, then will its independent inhabitants become worse and worse, and 80% of the local readership see the USSR in a dream? As in a joke about a moose shot by a hunter, but a moose does not notice at a watering place and thinks: I drink and drink, and I feel worse and worse. Growing lands, as many here dream, it is necessary to develop these lands. It is necessary that they, in turn, give added value to the general piggy bank. Well, how much is seafood in a country with 10 thousand miles of sea coast? I am pinned by reasoning at the level: today they haven’t even called me from the administration, but when they call and ask, I have my opinion on geopolitical issues, they will definitely listen to me. Having a pension of $ 150 and not having the ability to simply go abroad at least once a year, it remains only to talk about American dominance and the fate of smoked.
  13. Owl
    +2
    4 December 2018 10: 06
    Japan, de facto is an occupied state, like Germany. Independently unable to make any decisions. The occupying forces are American.
    On the other hand, abundant media do not disdain the black PR of any actions of both the Russian government and specifically the GDP,
    And the agreement with Japan in 1956 was annulled by the provision of 1960, when the islands were transferred to Japan, only after the withdrawal of the occupying American troops.
    1. -4
      4 December 2018 10: 44
      Does the American base in Japan prevent you from improving your financial situation, getting an education, traveling? Remember, grandfather during lunch, a grandmother with a spoon on his forehead? She: for what? Grandfather: as I recall, he says that he took you not as a girl, the soul turns over! :)
  14. Owl
    -1
    4 December 2018 10: 33
    On the other hand, when he was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eduard Shevardnadze gave the USA 43,6 thousand square kilometers of the continental, oil-bearing shelf. And fishing is prohibited there for Russia now.

    There have always been high-ranking traitors in the country ....
    1. 0
      4 December 2018 15: 44
      Thank you, enlightened that such a fish is not of high quality and expensive;] Shevardnadze helped the Americans :)
  15. 0
    4 December 2018 11: 36
    Yes, all this is nonsense, at the level of rumors.
  16. +1
    4 December 2018 11: 55
    Quote: gorbunov.vladisl
    ..there will be problems with the Sea of ​​Okhotsk ....

    We look carefully at the map. .
    Just the same problems with the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, in the case of the transfer of the islands of Habomai and Shikotan, will not. Problems will be if Russia loses about. Iturup and Fr. Kunashir.
    If Japan agrees to the conditions of Russia. And he will not demand about. Iturup and Fr. Kunashir, and limited to Habomai and Shikotan, this can be considered a diplomatic victory of Russia. And another argument on the borders of Russia will be less.

    "Appetite comes with eating..." sad
    1. 0
      4 December 2018 15: 47
      I directly imagined how we all in uniform, medals, and airfield caps were piled on a map ... We are discussing, arguing. Some suggest invoking the spirit of Stalin :) some Shevardnadze to put him in a corner.
  17. +1
    4 December 2018 13: 02
    However, Japan, which settled the territorial issue with Russia to mutual satisfaction, if it leaves the American strategic umbrella (and then it ceases to be “pro-American”), represents a potentially very advantageous international factor for Russia, perhaps an interesting regional partner, partly as a counterbalance China, partly as opposed to the United States.

    Dreams are all this, author. And reality is a betrayal of Russia's interests by the criminal elite, if it is so realized.
  18. The comment was deleted.
  19. +1
    4 December 2018 14: 17
    Well, the process has begun. The butt could not stand it, no one wants to be known, they drive through metal detectors like a commoner. For rent after a couple of years of such treatment on the part of the gentlemen in cork helmets, Crimea is next.
    1. +1
      4 December 2018 15: 34
      The next step will be a pair of Caliber towards gentlemen in cork helmets, Igor. I hope they calm down after that.
      1. 0
        4 December 2018 23: 08
        Caliber crew members are forbidden to chat openly on the network, you can give yourself away. We will call you when the Caliber will need to be deployed in cork helmets. And now - shhhhhh
  20. 0
    4 December 2018 15: 26
    Why did the author come up with some kind of fairy tale. You see, it seems to him.
    Wake up dear! Nobody gives anything to anyone.
  21. 0
    4 December 2018 16: 58
    And we’ve been reading such nonsense since 2001.
  22. 0
    5 December 2018 15: 55
    People, citizens, brothers - does anyone know anything about the author of this article N. Kuzyaev?
    Well, from the point of view of "managers and management" it is necessary to do something to keep the crowd in the MinInDel busy. Mr. Lavrov is tired, I suppose, of inventing classes for "workers of the diplomatic field."
    Let them deal with the issues of the "eastern territories", as well as the "northern ..." and the whole complex. Let them receive their reward for completing the Most Important Mission. Everyone will be in business, and they will not beat the thumbs.
    As for the islands - but you never know, our prime ministers, guarantors and other locum tenens have already squandered the territories. You will not dig into anything, everything is within the framework of the laws and the "spirit", or even the "letters" of agreements.
    And the people .... well, the people, is he not enough Norwegian salmon? Yes, there is also a "great sea power" Belarus, which is ready to inundate us with seafood, has formed near Russia’s side. We will survive, as they say.
    For one it is insulting, these islands are watered with the blood of our soldiers, with the blood of the marines. What will we do with memory?
    1. +1
      5 December 2018 16: 36
      We remembered, we remember, and we will remember, this is a simple matter. But I think that veterans, but simply pensioners, neither Norwegian nor Belarusian salmon are tough, that is, they cannot afford it. What to do about it? And the island is larger, the island is smaller, what's the difference. You also say: Gazprom is a national treasure. As a "beneficiary" you get a lot of self-interest from Gazprom?
      1. 0
        5 December 2018 16: 37
        So the topic of the introduced egg is not worth it, except if someone has recaptured the land there for the dacha .... Again, you will get Japanese citizenship under this bench.
        1. The comment was deleted.
  23. 0
    5 December 2018 21: 22
    Who would doubt that