Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee, warned that Japan’s persistent disputes over the Kuril Islands harm bilateral relations without providing any benefit.
Speaking on Friday, August 14, Karasin emphasized that Russia considers the four Kuril Islands—Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai—as part of its territory under international law established after World War II. “The Japanese continue to raise this issue without realizing it aggravates relations and does not bring any benefit,” he stated.
Former senator Andrei Klimov noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to the Kuril Islands coincided with major military exercises in the Far East. He described how Putin recalled long-standing threats from Asia, identifying militarized Japan as one source of these threats.
“Japan wants to abandon a peaceful existence with its neighbors and strive to be such a loyal, unsinkable ‘US aircraft carrier,'” Klimov added. “That is why our president stated that in this region we are ready to fight back against any aggressor.”
Klimov also claimed Russian-Japanese relations have reached their worst state in modern history, attributing it to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s resignation and Japan’s subsequent involvement in what he called the “Ukrainian crisis.”
