Russia has no plan to hand over disputed isles to Japan, Putin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that his country has no plan to hand over four Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands to Japan, according to a Russian national television program aired Saturday. In an interview with Putin, a reporter, who claimed to have visited one of ...
Prioritize access in Japan-Russia dispute
By prioritizing access to the islands and acknowledging that current negotiations won't lead to their return, Japan will gain a freer hand in dealing with Russia.
Putin says Japan's military cooperation with U.S. is getting in the way of peace talks with Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he wants to conclude a postwar peace treaty with Japan but that the process is challenging due to Tokyo's military cooperation with Washington. Speaking in a meeting with news agencies, Putin said Japan needs to take heed of Russia's ...
Parties step up pressure on lawmaker Hodaka Maruyama to quit over Russia war remarks
A resolution against opposition lawmaker Hodaka Maruyama came after the government verified remarks he made during a visa-free exchange program between Japan and Russia in May were problematic.
Soviet documents reveal Moscow's view on territory seized from Japan at end of WWII
Top Soviet officials were aware that the lack of a reference in the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty to the sovereignty of islands seized from Japan in the closing days of World War II could be exploited in postwar negotiations with Tokyo, declassified documents ...
Lawmaker Hodaka Maruyama's 'war' gaffe puts spotlight on disputed isles
Diet lawmaker Hodaka Maruyama was kicked out of opposition party Nippon Ishin no Kai last month over remarks he made during an exchange excursion to one of the Russian-controlled islands off the coast of Hokkaido that Japan claims as its own. Other opposition parties ...
Russian and Japanese foreign ministers fail to make breakthrough on island issue in Tokyo talks
Progress in the long-standing territorial dispute over Russian-held islands off Hokkaido remained elusive during a meeting between Foreign Minister Taro Kono and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
Citing free speech, Japanese lawmaker who alluded to war with Russia refuses to resign
The Lower House member says the Diet, as a place for free speech, is “signing its own death warrant” with the motion.
Japan and Russia to step up talks on economic activity on disputed isles
Japan and Russia have agreed to start new working-level talks regarding joint economic activity on the four disputed islands off Hokkaido, Foreign Ministry officials said. The director-level task force, launched separately from an existing working-level dialogue involving higher-level officials, is intended to boost coordination on ...
Japan softens tone on North Korea and Russia in foreign policy report as Abe pursues deals
Tokyo removed a reference to applying “maximum pressure” on Pyongyang and stopped short of explicitly claiming ownership of the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido.
Abe has abandoned June timeline for Japan-Russia peace treaty, says source
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has given up on reaching a broad agreement on a Japan-Russia peace treaty when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in June amid persisting differences over how to settle a long-standing territorial dispute, a government source said Thursday. Instead, the ...
Foreign Minister Taro Kono to visit Moscow in mid-May for Japan-Russia peace treaty talks
Foreign Minister Taro Kono plans to visit Moscow in mid-May for a meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov to advance postwar peace treaty talks that have stalled over a territorial dispute, a Japanese government source said Wednesday. The two-day visit from May 11 has been ...
