"Under Prime Minister Kishida, Japan completely followed the lead of [then-US President Joe] Biden, which has resulted in a negative legacy." I believe it was bad and damaged national interests," Suzuki told reporters.
The reason why the Russian-Japanese relations are currently at their worst since World War II is Tokyo's decision to impose sanctions on Moscow, Suzuki said.
"It is very simple. The reason we currently have the worst relations during the post-war period is that Japan unilaterally imposed economic sanctions on Russia," he told journalists.
Suzuki added that Japan's imposition of sanctions surprised and "shocked" Russia.
"The Japanese side needs to reconsider this [the sanctions] issue," the lawmaker said.
Russia has repeatedly said that it will cope with sanctions pressure and has accused the West of lacking the courage to admit the failure of its sanctions policy. Some Western officials have criticized the sanctions for being ineffective. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the policy of containing and weakening Russia is a long-term strategy of the West, and sanctions have dealt a serious blow to the entire global economy.