Drop Territorial Claims for a Peace Treaty, Says Reuters

By Andrew Osborn

A senior Russian security official, Dmitry Medvedev, stated on Tuesday that Japan must renounce its territorial claims over a group of Pacific islands if it wishes to finalize a peace treaty with Russia that would formally conclude World War Two.

Medvedev, a former president and current deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, made these direct comments regarding the islands that Moscow refers to as the Kurils. This position is likely to incite anger in Japan, which claims four of the southernmost islands, known as the Northern Territories.

Since the end of World War Two, Russia, as the primary successor to the Soviet Union, and Japan have not signed a peace treaty, with the island dispute being the major obstacle. The contested islands are located off Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island, and were taken by the Soviet Union at the war’s conclusion.

In the past, diplomats from both nations discussed the possibility of reviving a draft agreement from the Soviet era that would have returned two of these islands to Japan as part of a peace settlement. However, in 2022, Russia halted peace treaty negotiations with Japan and suspended joint economic projects related to the islands in response to Japanese sanctions triggered by Russia’s military actions in Ukraine, further straining relations.

Medvedev’s remarks were in response to statements from Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who had expressed support for a peace treaty with Russia. Medvedev remarked, “Nobody’s against the peace treaty on the understanding that … the ‘territorial question’ is closed once and for all in accordance with the constitution of Russia.” In 2020, amendments to Russia’s constitution prohibited the transfer of territory to foreign nations.

Portraying himself as a staunch anti-Western figure within the Kremlin, Medvedev emphasized that Japan must also accept Russia’s plans to develop the Kuril islands and station new weaponry there. He dismissed Japanese concerns, asserting, “These are not disputed territories but Russia.” He provocatively suggested that Japanese individuals who feel particularly distressed about the situation could resolve their feelings through ritual suicide.

Medvedev accused Japan of aligning itself with the United States, despite the historical context of the atomic bombings during World War Two. Russia had previously stated that joint military exercises by Japan, the United States, and Australia near Hokkaido posed a “potential security threat.” Moscow has expressed concerns about Japan’s military infrastructure expansion and arms acquisitions with U.S. support.

Japan, meanwhile, has expressed ongoing apprehensions regarding Russia’s military enhancements on the contested island chain.