Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned Japan that deploying a US land-based missile defense system could jeopardize talks between Moscow and Tokyo on the possible return of Russian-held islands off northern Japan.
Lavrov was referring to Japanese plans to introduce the US-made Aegis Ashore anti-missile system – the land-based version of the weapon used by the US and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force.
“I want to confirm that security issues concerning this region (the Russian Far East) are of vital interest to us,” Lavrov was quoted by the Asahi Shimbun as saying in a joint news conference on March 21 with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono following their bilateral talks in Tokyo.
“If the United States deploys the missile defense system in the Asian region, it will become an issue that is directly related to Russia’s security,” Lavrov added.
“Implicit in the remark was Russia’s intention to continue raising the (anti-missile) issue in negotiations with Japan,” Asahi said, alluding to negotiations on returning the so-called Northern Territories.
The Northern Territories, also known as the Kuril Islands, is a group of islands off eastern Hokkaido that were occupied by Soviet forces at the end of World War II but are still claimed by Japan.
All the islands are currently under Russian jurisdiction. Japan claims the two southernmost large islands (Iturup and Kunashir) as part of its territory, as well as Shikotan and the Habomai islets, which has led to the ongoing Kuril Islands dispute. The disputed islands are known in Japan as the country’s “Northern Territories.”
Lito Rosales tell us any territory that has not been conquered
Lito Rosales tell us any territory that has not been conquered
So….it’s ok for the Russians to be able to send missles in the Japanese territory without resistance? ??….seems like putting a missle defense system makes them squirm. ..why ????
they claimed they have it and yet they are afraid of aegis missile defense system…what a joke
russian still has bigger fear of US..they will use an islands issue to blackmail japan to abandon missile defense system
North America did not belong to English Speaking people, it belonged to the native indians.but what happened?
I could swear I read a article in which Russia claimed it had a “invincible missile”. Is it me or am I not seeing the problem?
They are not afraid; they are just flexing their muscles.
The aegis ashore are not offensive weapons, are they. Why should Russia be afraid.
This statement by Russia remains clear of its ever dubious nature. If the islands do not belong to you and God has touched you to return it to the owner, using deployment of anti missiles defence shield in Japan is an unfortunate and crafty reason for holding onto the islands. Russia has annexed Cremnia, occupied Syria and is also deploying its own s-400 to borders of Europe.