The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia has expressed an official protest to the Embassy of Japan in Moscow in connection with future joint military exercises between Japan and the United States near the Russian borders. This is stated in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
It is noted that the exercises should begin in late October – early November on the territory of Japan, in particular on the island of Hokkaido, which is located in close proximity to the Kuril Islands, which Russia considers its territory.
“The Japanese side was pointed out to the categorical inadmissibility of such a practice, the scale of which is expanding every year, in particular, due to the involvement of non-regional NATO member states in the maneuvers… The Japanese Embassy was warned about the inevitable adequate countermeasures to strengthen the defense capabilities and protect the sovereignty of the Russian Federation, as well as about inappropriateness of any attempts by the Japanese side to express its “concern” about our respective actions”, – noted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
It should be added that the distance between the Japanese island of Hokkaido and the nearest Kuril island of Kunashir, which is under Russian control, is less than 30 kilometers.
