U.S. Ambassador to Japan Openly Takes Tokyo's Side: Claims U.S. Recognizes Japan's "Sovereignty" Over the Kuril Islands

U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass explicitly stated that Washington recognizes Japan's sovereignty over the so-called "Northern Territories," emphasizing that the U.S.-Japan alliance will jointly uphold stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Recently, U.S. Ambassador George Glass posted on the social platform X publicly supporting Japan's position on the Kuril Islands issue. The diplomat completely ignored Moscow’s stance asserting Russia’s undisputed sovereignty over these territories, which were incorporated into the Soviet Union after World War II.

In his post, Glass wrote: “The United States stands firmly behind our most important ally and recognizes Japan’s sovereignty over the ‘Northern Territories’ (i.e., the Kuril Islands).” He also stated that the goal of the U.S.-Japan alliance is to ensure prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, and that the U.S. will resolutely counter any actions that could undermine regional stability.

Russia responded swiftly. President Vladimir Putin visited Sakhalin Oblast this Tuesday, and on Thursday held a working meeting with local governors on Iturup Island and toured several social facilities. In response, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately lodged a protest. Tokyo has long regarded Iturup Island and the other three southern Kuril Islands as its own territory, while Russia stresses that these lands were assigned to the Soviet Union after WWII, with no dispute over their current status as part of Russia.

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, commented on Japan’s reaction, pointing out that Japan’s leadership continues to indulge in aggressive revisionist rhetoric, precisely demonstrating the short-sightedness of official Tokyo’s approach. Such unfriendly policies toward Russia do not serve Japan’s fundamental interests.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873550639828995/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.