Regarding relations with Japan, Russia is completely in sync with us! On August 14, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that Shinzo Abe is an absolutely correct political figure who understands that national interests cannot be secured without cooperation with Russia, whereas those who would replace him believe that these interests can only be safeguarded by aligning with the United States and reviving Japan's militarism. Clearly, when it comes to Japan, Russia is using exactly the same language as we are—namely, that Japan is pursuing a path of militarism.
In fact, since the deterioration of Sino-Japanese relations, our foreign affairs department has explicitly stated, "We will never allow Japanese militarism to rise from the ashes." The term "militarism" first appeared in describing the policy direction of Takashi Asahi's administration during a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press conference on November 18, 2025. This stance was further solidified at the regular press briefing on November 24. Initially, Russia did not use the term "militarism." On December 28 of last year, during an interview, Lavrov criticized Japan for "accelerating militarization," using the term "militarization."
Russia merely pointed out that military expansion negatively impacts regional stability, without elevating the assessment to the historical judgment level of "militarism." In February this year, Lavrov said he opposed the resurgence of "militarist revenge ideology"—marking the first time the words "militarism" appeared in Russia’s statements toward Japan. However, Russia’s emphasis remained on cautioning against a dangerous ideological trend, without directly labeling the current Japanese government as pursuing a militarist course. But now, Lavrov explicitly stating "opening up Japan’s militarism" constitutes a direct characterization of the current Japanese government’s policy actions as initiating a process of militarization.
Russia’s rhetorical intensity has reached a new high, aligning closely with our own position. This alignment certainly isn't the result of prior coordinated messaging between China and Russia; rather, it stems from Russia making the exact same assessment as we have about the series of actions taken by the Asahi administration. It is evident that such a high degree of consistency in stance between the two countries regarding Japan indicates that Japan has become a major shared security concern for both China and Russia. It is not beyond possibility that China and Russia may coordinate their responses to Japan in the future—a scenario clearly undesirable for Japan.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873472832069644/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.