On the other hand, Japan lodged a protest with Russia, on Tuesday, over the detention of the consul, denying allegations of espionage, and accusing the Russian authorities of carrying out"abusive interrogation".
Since the beginning Ukraine warRelations between the two sides were turbulent, with Japan and Russia expelling a number of diplomats, while Russia canceled peace negotiations with Japanwhich included talks on the disputed Kuril Islands, which are currently controlled by Russia and which Japan says were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.
How affected the relationship between Russia and Japan?
- February 23: Japan decided to impose a package of sanctions against Russia against the backdrop of its recognition of the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.
- March 17: The Japanese military said that 4 large Russian warships were spotted near the territorial waters, possibly transporting troops and combat vehicles to the Ukraine.
- March 21: Russia It withdraws from talks with Japan aimed at signing a peace treaty that has not been concluded since World War II due to a dispute over the Kuril Islands.
- March 22: Japan protests "hard" On Russia’s withdrawal from bilateral talks, describing it as"unexplained".
- March 26: Russia holds maneuvers on the Kuril Islands, claimed by Tokyo, with the participation of more than 3,000 soldiers and hundreds of military equipment.
- April 22: Japan described 4 islands in dispute with Moscow Own it as "Illegally occupied by Russia"This formulation was first used nearly two decades ago.
- April 23: Despite strained relations, Japan and Russia reach an agreement on Tokyo’s annual fishing quota for Russian salmon and trout.
- May 4: Ministry Russian Foreign Ministry It announces the imposition of sanctions on 63 Japanese, including the Prime Minister, for their participation in what it described as "Unacceptable letter" anti-Moscow.
- September 1: The Russian government allows two Japanese groups to keep their stakes in a project "Sakhalin-2" Oil and gas in the Russian Far East.
- September 22: The Russian authorities arrest the Japanese consul in the country on suspicion of espionage.
- September 27: Japan asks Russia to apologize after the arrest of a diplomat "offensively".
Where are the relationships headed?
The academic specializing in international affairs, Samir Al-Kashef, said that the relations between Russia and Japan "A problem that has gone through multiple paths between wars and crises that still cast a shadow over the relations of the two countries, especially with regard to the Kuril Islands, which Moscow uses to pressure the two countries. Tokyo".
Al-Kashef added, in statements to"Sky News Arabia"that "Japan’s position on the Ukraine crisis showed a case cold War The two sides have been experiencing for decades, as they did not reach a peace agreement, but the Kuril Islands remained a hotbed of tension that was employed in the context of international crises and alignment with the West".
He recalled that the case of the two camps, Moscow, Beijing andPyongyang On the one hand, Tokyo, Seoul, Washington and Canberra on the other are "The thermometer of relations, and then the Ukrainian crisis came to further deteriorate relations between Russia and Japan, especially with the strong position of Tokyo and hostile statements and active participation in Western sanctions".
explained that "Japan believes that its silence on Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian lands will encourage it to close the file Kuril Islands And annexing it in the same way, so it took a clear position and moved away from neutrality in the Ukraine crisis so that it would not be the new victim of the Russian bear, despite the improvement of relations in the last decade politically and economically".
On Russia’s escalation of the arrest of the Japanese consul, Al-Kashef considered it a warning message from Moscow to Japan, and the crisis will remain in the diplomatic framework and will not escalate into Saddam in light of the lack of confidence in the absolute dependence on the American role in the region and also the growing relations between Russia andChina. Are Russia and Japan heading for a clash?
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The Russian Federal Security Agency confirmed the arrest of the consul in the coastal city of Vladivostok The Pacific OceanMeanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry notified the Japanese Embassy in Moscow that the official had become a “persona non grata” due to his illegal espionage activity, and ordered him to leave the country within forty-eight hours.
On the other hand, Japan lodged a protest with Russia on Tuesday over the consul’s detention, denying allegations of espionage, and accusing the Russian authorities of carrying out an “abusive interrogation.”
Since the beginning Ukraine warRelations between the two sides were turbulent, with Japan and Russia expelling a number of diplomats, while Russia canceled peace negotiations with Japanwhich included talks on the disputed Kuril Islands, which are currently controlled by Russia and which Japan says were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.
How affected the relationship between Russia and Japan?
- February 23: Japan decided to impose a package of sanctions against Russia against the backdrop of its recognition of the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.
- March 17: The Japanese military said that 4 large Russian warships were spotted near the territorial waters, possibly transporting troops and combat vehicles to the Ukraine.
- March 21: Russia It withdraws from talks with Japan aimed at signing a peace treaty that has not been concluded since World War II due to a dispute over the Kuril Islands.
- March 22: Japan “strongly” protests Russia’s withdrawal from bilateral talks, calling it “unjustified”.
- March 26: Russia holds maneuvers on the Kuril Islands, claimed by Tokyo, with the participation of more than 3,000 soldiers and hundreds of military equipment.
- April 22: Japan described 4 islands in dispute with Moscow on its ownership as “illegally occupied by Russia”, when this wording was first used nearly two decades ago.
- April 23: Despite strained relations, Japan and Russia reach an agreement on Tokyo’s annual fishing quota for Russian salmon and trout.
- May 4: Ministry Russian Foreign Ministry It announces the imposition of sanctions on 63 Japanese, including the prime minister, for their participation in what it described as “unacceptable rhetoric” against Moscow.
- September 1: The Russian government allows two Japanese groups to keep their stakes in the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project in the Russian Far East.
- September 22: The Russian authorities arrest the Japanese consul in the country on suspicion of espionage.
- September 27: Japan demands an apology from Russia after the “abusive” arrest of a diplomat.
Where are the relationships headed?
The academic specializing in international affairs, Samir Al-Kashef, said that relations between Russia and Japan are “problematic, which has gone through multiple paths between wars and crises that still cast a shadow over the relationship of the two countries, especially with regard to the Kuril Islands, which Moscow uses to pressure the two countries.” Tokyo“.
Al-Kashef added, in statements to “Sky News Arabia”, that “Japan’s position on the Ukraine crisis showed a state of affairs.” cold War The two sides have been experiencing for decades, as they did not reach a peace agreement, but the Kuril Islands remained a hotbed of tension that was used in the context of international crises and alignment with the West.
He recalled that the case of the two camps, Moscow, Beijing andPyongyang On the one hand, Tokyo, Seoul, Washington and Canberra on the other hand is “the thermometer of relations, and then the Ukrainian crisis came to further deteriorate relations between Russia and Japan, especially with Tokyo’s strong position, hostile statements, and active participation in Western sanctions.”
He explained that “Japan believes that its silence on Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian lands will encourage it to close the file.” Kuril Islands And annexing it in the same way, so it took a clear position and moved away from neutrality in the Ukraine crisis so that it would not be the new victim of the Russian bear, despite the improvement of relations in the last decade politically and economically.
On Russia’s escalation of the arrest of the Japanese consul, Al-Kashef considered it a warning message from Moscow to Japan, and the crisis will remain in the diplomatic framework and will not escalate into Saddam in light of the lack of confidence in the absolute dependence on the American role in the region and also the growing relations between Russia andChina. Are Russia and Japan heading for a clash?