TOKYO: SUZUKI Muneo, a veteran lawmaker from Hokkaido with close ties to Russia, has dismissed statements by Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and Foreign Minister KAMIKAWA Yoko suggesting that Japan will sign a peace treaty with Russia after getting back the northern islands the superpower currently occupies.

In a blog post on “Northern Territories Day,” Muneo accused Kishida of paying lip service to the Russia issue and was dismissive of his diplomatic efforts, asking why Russia would return the islands after Japan had imposed sanctions.

Suzuki recalled that after sanctions were imposed, Russia declared there would be no peace treaty negotiations, visa-free exchanges and other cultural activities would be suspended, and it would withdraw from the dialogue on joint economic activities in the Northern Territories.

Suzuki wrote: “During the Crimea crisis, former Prime Minister Abe was asked by then-US President Obama to join economic sanctions against Russia. However, Abe firmly stated that Japan’s stance on the Northern Territories and the conclusion of a Japan-Russia peace treaty prevented alignment with the US, leading to a more future-oriented approach in Japan-Russia relations.”

“Regarding the Ukraine conflict, Japan hastily followed the US, resulting in arguably the worst state of Japan-Russia relations post-WWII. Diplomacy involves considering the other party’s perspective, and Japan’s demands won’t be met through one-sided diplomacy.”

At a ceremony for Northern Territories Day, both Prime Minister Kishida and Foreign Minister Kamikawa gave speeches reaffirming the government’s stance on resolving the territorial issue and concluding a peace treaty, while at the same time imposing sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. 

Suzuki pointed out that previous efforts by various prime ministers and politicians led to progress in Japan-Soviet and Japan-Russia relations, with the two sides reaching an agreement in 2019 to accelerate peace treaty negotiations.

“I lament the missed opportunity due to Prime Minister Abe’s departure,” Suzuki wrote. “Prime Minister Kishida and Foreign Minister Kamikawa expressed a desire to prioritize exchanges, but before that, Japan must clearly convey a changed stance to Russia.”