'Joined unfriendly nations': Russia rejects talks possibility with Japan on peace treaty

A comprehensive dialogue with Japan on WWII peace treaty "is currently impossible," Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, according to APA. "A meaningful dialogue on a peace treaty with Japan is unlikely to be possible now. Because Tokyo joined camp of countries that are not friendly [US, EU] to sanction Russian Federation," said Peskov.

Moscow scrapped  World War II peace treaty talks with Japan over its coordinated response to Ukraine war with its ally US. Just days after Russia annexed four regions of war-torn Ukraine, Japan imposed a barrage of sanctions on Russian officials and its neighbouring ally Belarus. Russia's Foreign Ministry derided Japan for colluding with Group of Seven (G7) partners against Russian Federation. Moscow, in turn, ended a visa-free regime for Japanese nationals. "In light of outspokenly unfriendly nature of Japan’s unilateral restrictions against Russia over situation in Ukraine following measures are to be taken," Russian Foreign Ministry announced in a statement. 

Japan 'not displaying anything constructive:' Peskov

On  Monday, at a state presser, Peskov dismissed a possibility that Russia might resume talks on signing a peace treaty with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government. "Japan has quite actively joined camp of those countries that became unfriendly to us. And with its actions in terms of bilateral relations Japan is not displaying anything constructive," he asserted. Furrmore, Putin's press secretary said that any "meaningful dialogue" with Tokyo "is currently absent and certainly under se conditions it is hardly possible to talk about this possibility de facto." 

Earlier, Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, h expressed its willingness to resume stalled discussions with Russia, saying that despite war in Ukraine, and difficult state of affairs between Tokyo and Moscow, Japan looks forward to resolving territorial issues with Moscow and "concluding peace treaty."  Russian Foreign Ministry unilaterally terminated treaty talks in March 2022 and also scrapped bilateral dialogue and arrangements with Japan on joint economic activities on sourn Kuril Islands. Moscow also suspended 1998 bilateral safe fishing agreement near disputed Kuril islands known as Norrn Territories in Japan.