Moscow-Sana
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that the southern lands of the Kuril Islands are Russian territory, pointing out his country's readiness for dialogue with Tokyo to resolve sensitive issues.
"We do not agree with such a statement, this is the territory of the Russian Federation," TASS news agency quoted Peskov as saying, in response to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's statement regarding Tokyo's claims to sovereignty over the South Kuril Islands.
Peskov stressed that his country is ready for dialogue with Tokyo to resolve sensitive issues, noting that Moscow has repeatedly affirmed its political will at various levels, in addition to Russian President Vladimir Putin's assertion of his political determination to continue dialogue with Tokyo in order to find solutions to the urgent issues remaining on the agenda.
In turn, Victor Bondarev, Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the Russian Federation Council, considered Kishida's statement a falsification of history and that it can be considered a review of the results of World War II, noting that "the statements of the Japanese Prime Minister are not only aimed at gaining power in his country, but also to meet the needs of the American authorities, who are always happy when Someone criticizes Russia or seeks to stab it in the international arena.
During a discussion in the lower house of the Japanese parliament, Kishida indicated that Tokyo's sovereignty allegedly extended to the South Kuril Islands and stressed "the need to solve this issue and not leave it to future generations," adding that the Japanese government is committed to signing a peace treaty with Russia to solve the issue of ownership of these islands.
The issue of signing the peace treaty between Russia and Japan has been pending for 70 years, as Moscow requires Tokyo's recognition of the results of World War II, which means recognition of Russia's sovereignty over the four islands before any talk about it.