In a press conference, Motegi stated, “We intend to continue adhering to the position through which we aim to conclude a peace treaty with Russia after resolving the territorial issue.” He also reaffirmed Tokyo’s stance on continuing support for Ukraine and applying pressure by imposing sanctions on Russia.
Japan demands the return of the Kunashir, Shikotan, Iturup, and Habomai islands, citing the bilateral trade and border treaty of 1855. From this standpoint, Tokyo has made the return of these islands a condition for concluding a peace treaty with the Russian Federation, which has not been signed yet after the end of World War II.
In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a joint declaration, in which Moscow agreed to consider the possibility of handing over two islands to Japan if a peace treaty was concluded. The Soviet Union hoped the matter would end with this point, while Japan viewed the deal as only part of resolving this issue, and did not abandon its claims to all the islands.
Therefore, subsequent negotiations did not lead to any result. Moscow asserts that the islands became part of the Soviet Union as a result of World War II and that Russian sovereignty over them is indisputable.
In 2018, in Singapore, after a summit meeting between Putin and then-Prime Minister Abe, it was stated that both parties agreed to accelerate negotiations for a peace treaty based on the 1956 Soviet-Japanese joint declaration.
