Japan, Russia Trade Barbs in Wake of Ukraine War

Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin is pictured at the Japanese Foreign Ministry in Tokyo on March 22, 2022. Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Takeo Mori summoned him to the ministry to protest Russia's announcement it will suspend negotiations of a peace treaty with Japan. Photo: VCG

The Russian government announced it would call off the Russo-Japanese peace treaty negotiations, a move seen as a countermeasure against Tokyo’s economic sanctions in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine.

In a statement issued Monday, the Russian foreign ministry attacked Japan, saying that “under such conditions, (the Russian side) has no intention to continue peace treaty negotiations,” while asserting it is impossible to “discuss signing important documents with a country that takes a blatantly unfriendly attitude.”