Zakharova Criticizes Tokyo’s Kuril Islands Stance

Zakharova described Tokyo’s statements regarding the Southern Kuril Islands as unacceptable, and particularly ironic on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan. Zakharova stated in a comment published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website: “Tokyo’s insistence on misinterpreting the events of the mid-20th century, which determined the fate of humanity, clearly confirms the essence of revenge in Japan’s modern policy.” She added that Moscow considers such rhetoric unacceptable and continued by saying: “We consider this rhetoric unacceptable from a statesman of this level, and moreover, incapable of changing the objective reality: the southern islands transferred to the Soviet Union, of which the Russian Federation is a successor, based on legal grounds enshrined in post-war agreements between the Allied countries and the United Nations Charter.” She clarified: “In advance, we again call on Tokyo to fully acknowledge its responsibility for the aggression launched in Asia in the 1930s and 40s, and to offer a sincere apology for the suffering inflicted on its peoples.”