“Under the current conditions, Russia does not intend to continue negotiations with Japan on a peace treaty,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, citing “Japan’s publicly unfriendly positions and its attempts to harm the interests of our country.”
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he strongly opposed Russia’s decision, calling it “unfair” and “totally unacceptable”.
“This whole situation was caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Russia’s reaction to push this into Japan-Russia relations is very unfair and totally unacceptable,” he said, adding that Japan’s attitudes toward seeking a peace treaty have not changed and it has objected to it. Russian move.
“Japan must continue resolutely to punish Russia in cooperation with the rest of the world,” he added.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Japan had lodged a protest with Russia’s ambassador in Tokyo.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Japan last week announced plans to scrap Russia’s most-favoured-nation trade status, extend an asset freeze against Russian elites and ban imports of certain products.
Announcing the measures last week, Kishida said Japan would also cooperate with international aid agencies to deliver food and medicine to Ukrainians. He added that Japan had begun accepting evacuees from Ukraine and demanded public support.
Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that both Tokyo and Moscow wanted good relations and described it as absurd that they did not reach a peace agreement.
The statement said Russia also withdrew from talks with Japan on joint business ventures in the Kuril Islands and ended visa-free travel for Japanese nationals.
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