Russia threatens counterattack if US-Japan "encroach" in Far East, warns Tokyo about territorial claims

On May 9, Russian Ambassador to Japan Nikolai Nozdrev said that the country is monitoring with high vigilance the US-Japan increase in military exercises near the border in the Far East.

The Southern Kuril Islands/Northern Territories have long been a flashpoint in Russia-Japan relations. (Source: Sputnik)

In an interview with Sputnik news agency on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, the Russian ambassador noted: "We have regularly warned Japan that if such moves continue, Moscow will be forced to take counter-attack steps to stop the threat."

In addition, the diplomat said that the government of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio continues to follow the process of increasing militarization and resolutely removing pacifist provisions in the constitution that the country has been proud of for decades, causing many concerns in Russia and Japan.

"We are talking about a significant increase in military spending, an increase in strike potential, the lifting of self-restrictions on arms exports, as well as a significantly deeper military cooperation with the United States," Nozdrev pointed out.

Also in the interview, the Russian diplomat objected to Japan making territorial claims against Moscow "instead of accepting the results of World War II".

According to Ambassador Nozdrev, "the reinforcement of confrontational rhetoric that is completely inconsistent with reality is obvious, especially from the recently published Diplomatic Bluebook by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, which repeats unacceptable words for Russia."

To date, Russia and Japan remain entangled in a territorial dispute over the islands that Moscow calls the Southern Kurils, while Tokyo calls the Northern Territories.

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