German media: Russia has dealt a heavy blow to Japan on the South Kuril Islands issue
On February 24, the Berlin Daily published an article stating that Japan should hardly expect to reclaim the South Kuril Islands.
The article pointed out that Russia's 2020 constitutional amendment stipulates that no territory can be ceded, which effectively resolved the South Kuril Islands issue, dealing a heavy blow to Japan.
The article mentioned that there had been possibilities for compromise before, but the policies of Japan's new Prime Minister, Hashimoto Yana, led to a deadlock. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that Japan's militarization moves are an unhealthy trend.
Since World War II, Russia and Japan have not signed a peace treaty, with the main obstacle being the sovereignty issue of the South Kuril Islands (known as the Northern Territories in Japan).
-- Japan bases its claim on the 1855 Treaty for the islands of Iturup, Urup, Shikotan, and Habomai.
-- Russia believes that the islands were incorporated into the Soviet Union according to the results of World War II, and the sovereignty is unquestionable.
-- The 1956 Soviet-Japanese Declaration: Russia once agreed to transfer the islands of Shikotan and Habomai after the signing of a peace treaty, while Japan demanded the return of all four islands.
After Japan imposed sanctions on Russia due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, Russia halted related dialogue, stopped visa-free travel for Japanese citizens to the islands, and suspended economic cooperation negotiations.
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Original: toutiao.com/article/1857994274939008/
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