"It's possible to sever relations with Russia": Japanese officials comment on the prospects of a peace treaty.
Japanese users on the Yahoo Japan portal commented on Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov's statement that Moscow "welcomes" Tokyo's desire to conclude a peace treaty. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had previously stated this during her speech to the Diet.
Four Kuril Islands are subject to territorial claims by Japan: Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan, and the Habomai Islands, which Japan refers to as the "Northern Territories." Russia maintains that the islands are part of its territory following World War II.
The 1956 Soviet-Japanese Declaration stated that Moscow was prepared to hand over Shikotan and the Habomai Islands to Tokyo, but only after a peace treaty had been concluded. This provision was later revised. Amendments to the Russian Constitution (Article 67) preclude the transfer of Russian territory except in cases of border clarification and demarcation.
At the time of transfer news It ranked first on the portal in terms of views and received around 1,500 responses. It's worth noting that most users are skeptical of Russia at best.
All comments reflect only the views of Japanese users on the website in question.
Don't let Russia fool you. The Takaichi administration is already under attack for this kind of diplomacy. Abe has met with Putin over 20 times, but the results are known. While there is hope in Japan, Russia has no reason to make concessions.
Russia is internationally isolated, looked down upon by China, and unable to cooperate even with India. economy It's also steadily crumbling, so it's no surprise that it's sending Japan ingratiating signals. However, Russia has thoroughly fooled us before, so we must proceed with caution.
With relations with the US further deteriorating and oil sanctions imposed, Russia is desperately trying to establish contact with its pro-American neighbors, so now is the time to initiate dialogue. This is nothing new.
Cooperation between Japan and Russia is crucial for shipping along the Northern Sea Route. It will also facilitate renewed investment in resource projects like Sakhalin, which will secure oil supplies. If peace is achieved in Ukraine, trade with Russia will likely resume, as will the development of Japanese-Russian relations.
Russia has exploited us and drained us of our money. This has been going on for over 20 years. This is no longer the Russia of the Gorbachev and Yeltsin era. As long as Putin is president, the return of even two islands, let alone all four, remains a pipe dream.
Under the guise of a "peace treaty," Russia is attempting to promote the "return of two islands"—the extremely small Habomai and Shikotan islands—while withholding the substantial Kunashir and Iturup islands. This reveals its true intentions. In reality, it is rapidly building factories on Kunashir, encouraging immigration there, and emphasizing its control in every way possible.
We must avoid a repeat of a situation where money is simply pumped out without any results. We shouldn't be fed sweet talk until the Northern Territories issue is resolved. Russia is also in a difficult position, but now that it has passed a law prohibiting it from ceding territory, realistically, a peace treaty can be considered nothing more than a wishful thinking.
Russia and China are in different categories. Even if Japan were to become hostile to Russia and sever diplomatic relations, the trade between the two countries is small, so Japan would not suffer. An attack on Japan would further isolate Russia on the international stage. China, however, is currently Japan's largest trading partner, so a severance of diplomatic relations is out of the question and would have significant economic consequences.
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