Russia Warns Japan Leading Sanctions... "Retaliation if US-Japan Drills Expand"

Japan Reaffirms Sovereignty Over Kuril Islands Amid 'Territorial Dispute'

Vladimir Putin (right), President of Russia, and then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shake hands after holding talks and concluding a joint press conference at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow, Russia, on January 22, 2018 (local time). Former Prime Minister Abe had long focused on diplomacy with Russia to regain the four southern Kuril Islands, referred to as the "Northern Territories," but ultimately did not achieve significant progress. Moscow=AP Yonhap News Photo by AP

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Diplomatic tensions are escalating as Russia mentions retaliation against Japan ahead of sanctions on Russia.

On the 26th (local time), Igor Margulov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific, reportedly stated to Russian local media that if the scale of the US-Japan naval joint exercises expands, Russia will retaliate.

Deputy Minister Margulov claimed that tensions are rising due to the US-Japan maritime exercises conducted near the Russian border and argued that these exercises threaten Russia's security.

He added, "We consider these actions by Japan a threat to our security," and said, "We have directly warned Japan through diplomatic channels, and Japan should know that Russia will take retaliatory measures if the exercises expand."

Margulov's remarks are interpreted as referring to Japan's recent joint maritime exercises involving an aircraft carrier alongside the United States.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted joint exercises on the 12th with the US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to send a warning message to North Korea, where nuclear test preparations were detected.

Russia responded to these exercises by launching cruise missiles two days later against the US and Japan. On the 25th, Russia also sent a warning message by announcing plans for full-scale development of the Kuril Islands (called the Northern Territories by Japan), with which it has a territorial dispute with Japan.

Yuri Trutnev, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Envoy to the Far East, said during a visit to Khabarovsk in Russia's Far East, "Japan will invest in and fully develop the Kuril Islands, which we illegally occupy according to their false claims."

The Kuril Islands are an archipelago stretching 1,300 km between Japan's Hokkaido and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. Currently, Russia has effective control, but Japan claims sovereignty over the four southern islands?Kunashir, Iturup, Habomai Islands, and Shikotan?calling them the Northern Territories.

Japan is actively participating in US-led economic sanctions against Russia in response to Russia's invasion. On the 20th of this month, Japan expelled eight Russian diplomats, and earlier on the 12th, it imposed sanctions freezing the assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin's two daughters.

From the 2nd of last month to the 9th of this month, Japan has accepted 524 Ukrainian refugees and is actively considering improvements to its refugee system to accommodate additional refugees.