TOKYO: Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed Japan for stalled talks between the two nations to resolve their dispute over four Russian-held islands that Japan claims as its Northern Territories and to conclude a peace treaty to formally end their World War II hostilities.

Speaking to Russia’s state-run Tass news agency and other media on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, where Russia is holding an annual international economic conference, Putin said that the conditions for continuing the negotiations are not met now.

In spring 2022, the Russian foreign ministry announced that the talks would be suspended as Japan imposed sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine. In autumn 2023, Putin said that Moscow was ready to resume the talks only if Japan met certain conditions, such as lifting the sanctions.

The president reiterated on Wednesday that he would not refuse to resume the negotiations if the Japanese side first meets necessary conditions.

At a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi rebuked the latest remarks by Putin, arguing that the current bilateral situation is due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The attitude of shifting the blame to the Japanese side is extremely unfair and totally unacceptable,” Hayashi stressed.

Referring to his possible future visit to the disputed islands, Putin said that he has no reason to hesitate as the islands are part of Russian territory. In January, Putin expressed his willingness to visit the islands.

The Russian leader added that the impact of his island visit on Russia’s relations with Japan would be minor, compared with the impact of Western sanctions on Russia, including Japan’s sanctions.

Through a constitutional amendment in 2020, the Putin administration introduced a ban on ceding territory, including the islands, which Soviet troops seized from Japan in the closing days of the war.

JIJI Press