https://sputnikglobe.com/20250810/moscow-rejects-tokyos-unacceptable-claim-about-illegal-occupation-of-southern-kurils-1122589722.html
Russia Rejects Japan's 'Unacceptable' Claim About 'Illegal Occupation' of Southern Kurils
Russia Rejects Japan's 'Unacceptable' Claim About 'Illegal Occupation' of Southern Kurils
Sputnik International
Tokyo's statements about the alleged "illegal occupation" of the southern Kuril Islands by Russia are unacceptable and sound particularly cynical on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the victory over militarist Japan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said
2025-08-10T13:34+0000
2025-08-10T13:34+0000
2025-08-10T13:35+0000
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On August 8, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya made statements regarding the "illegitimacy" of the Soviet Union’s entry into hostilities against Japan on August 9, 1945, and the "illegal occupation" of the southern Kuril Islands. "The persistent imposition by official Tokyo of false interpretations of the mid-20th century events that shaped the fate of humanity vividly confirms the revanchist core of modern Japan's policy. In essence, this country is the only one on the planet that refuses to fully recognize the outcomes of postwar settlements, seeking to 'whitewash' or silence the numerous crimes committed by the Japanese militarism during its barbaric expansionist campaign in East Asia in the first half of the 20th century," Zakharova said in a statement published on the foreign ministry's website. The Japanese foreign minister's statement sound "particularly cynical" on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan on September 3, the spokeswoman continued. Russia and Japan have tried to negotiate separate aspects of their disagreements, but have never signed a full postwar peace treaty. In March 2022, Russia withdrew from talks with Japan and suspended joint economic activities on the disputed islands after Tokyo sided with the Western sanctions campaign against Moscow over its special military operation in Ukraine.
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Russia Rejects Japan's 'Unacceptable' Claim About 'Illegal Occupation' of Southern Kurils
13:34 GMT 10.08.2025 (Updated: 13:35 GMT 10.08.2025) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Tokyo's statements about the alleged "illegal occupation" of the southern Kuril Islands by Russia are unacceptable and sound particularly cynical on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the victory over militarist Japan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.
On August 8, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya made statements regarding the "illegitimacy" of the Soviet Union’s entry into hostilities against Japan on August 9, 1945, and the "illegal occupation" of the southern Kuril Islands.
"The persistent imposition by official Tokyo of false interpretations of the mid-20th century events that shaped the fate of humanity vividly confirms the revanchist core of modern Japan's policy. In essence, this country is the only one on the planet that refuses to fully recognize the outcomes of postwar settlements, seeking to 'whitewash' or silence the numerous crimes committed by the Japanese militarism during its barbaric expansionist campaign in East Asia in the first half of the 20th century," Zakharova said in a statement published on the foreign ministry's website.
The Japanese foreign minister's statement sound "particularly cynical" on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan on September 3, the spokeswoman continued.
"We consider such rhetoric unacceptable for an official of this level and, moreover, incapable of changing objective reality: the southern Kuril Islands were transferred to the Soviet Union, to which the Russian Federation is a successor state, on lawful grounds enshrined in postwar agreements of the Allied Powers and in the UN Charter. On the eve of the memorable date of September 3, we once again call on Tokyo to fully acknowledge its responsibility for the aggression unleashed in Asia in the 1930s and 1940s and to offer sincere apologies for the suffering caused to its peoples," Zakharova added.
Russia and Japan have tried to negotiate separate aspects of their disagreements, but have never signed a full postwar peace treaty. In March 2022, Russia withdrew from talks with Japan and suspended joint economic activities on the disputed islands after Tokyo sided with the Western sanctions campaign against Moscow over its special military operation in Ukraine.
