Russia Says Japan's Remilitarization Threatens Its National Security

(MENAFN- IANS) Moscow, Sep 16 (IANS) Japan's remilitarisation and the deployment of missiles near Russia's borders pose a threat to the latter's national security, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

During a meeting with Japanese Ambassador to Russia Akira Muto, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko expressed concerns over Japan's expanding military activities with the United States and other Western allies near Russia's Far Eastern borders, as well as the deployment of medium-range missile systems on Japanese territory.

"All these moves constitute a direct threat to Russia's national security, as well as peace and stability in Northeast Asia," the ministry said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported. It warned that if such activities continue, Russia will take necessary compensatory measures to maintain an adequate level of its defence capability.

The Russian side also criticised Tokyo's continued anti-Russia stance, including its protest over Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the Southern Kuril Islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, as well as Japan's expanded military assistance to Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Japan should prioritize diplomacy when commenting on Tokyo's call to resume visa-free visits by Japanese citizens to the Southern Kuril Islands.

"One simply needs to behave decently, remember that diplomacy exists and stop creating additional problems on top of all those already created by them in bilateral relations," Zakharova said on the sidelines of the International Festival of Youth in Yekaterinburg.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Japan currently takes an "extremely unfriendly position" toward Russia and has joined anti-Russia sanctions, making it difficult to expect reciprocal concessions.

After Japan joined Western-led sanctions against Russia in 2022, Moscow suspended bilateral peace treaty negotiations, halted visa-free visits by Japanese citizens to the Southern Kuril Islands and withdrew from talks on joint economic activities in the islands.

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