From November 22 to 23, the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Nagoya, Japan, and the practical issues that need to be resolved urgently in Russia-Japan relations were put on the table. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov handed over a list of security concerns to Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi. All issues were directed to the Japan-US Security Alliance. Lavrov pointed out that Tokyo's military cooperation with Washington is still "the bottleneck encountered in giving Russia and Japan new characteristics." Not only that, in his view, "Washington, without concealing it, publicly identified Russia as its main threat, and for the above-mentioned challenges, established military alliances with Japan, Australia, and South Korea."
Japan's response may be revealed during Moteki's visit to Moscow in December.
It is necessary to point out that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has emphasized more than once that he intends to completely resolve the problems existing in Japan-Russia relations before his term expires in 2021. However, for such a difficult matter, the time frame has not been determined. The most important obstacle is the divergence of attitudes towards the signing of a peace treaty at the highest levels of Japanese politics. For example, Chief Cabinet Secretary Tong Yiwei claimed that only after territorial issues have been resolved can a contract be discussed. Japanese politicians have even refused to acknowledge that the Kuril Islands (called the four northern islands in Japan—reference news network note) belong to Russia, although they eventually gave up the official statement of "illegal occupation".
Today, Japan-US military cooperation has made the further development of Russia-Japan relations even more complicated. Tokyo guarantees are never targeted at Moscow, but the content of cooperation obviously does not match the guarantees.
More than 47,000 US troops are still stationed in 91 facilities in Japan, including the large bases of the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. What worries Moscow most is the possible deployment of medium-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, including nuclear bombs, at US military bases in Japan. Experts have issued a warning that this move will definitely break the balance of power in Northeast Asia, because it will inevitably stimulate other major powers to take countermeasures. The return of US tactical nuclear weapons to Japan will also cause extreme resentment from local residents who are unwilling to be held hostage to Washington's geopolitical game.
In addition, under the Japan-US plan to build a joint anti-missile system, Washington will provide Tokyo with a land-based Aegis missile system that can be used for offensive tasks with "slight modifications".
Tokyo is gradually promoting the self-defense force's weapons renewal plan, and at the same time, it is actively cooperating with the U.S. military to jointly act in a crisis or threat. Although the SDF only assumes defensive functions, and Tokyo's international image is positive, the above-mentioned approach cannot be interpreted as a friendly move by surrounding powers.
As a result, increased pressure from US allies on Tokyo involves both asking Japan to increase military spending and also involving certain aspects of diplomacy. Tokyo's joining a series of sanctions against Russia, and its lack of careful balance and consistent line when concluding a peace treaty with Russia, have all been significantly affected by the US attitude.
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