Zakharova fiercely rebukes Japanese journalists: Your refusal to visit the bombed school in Luhansk is dereliction of duty and a disgrace!
May 26, at a Russian Foreign Ministry press conference
Japanese NHK journalist Watanabe Shin asked about Russia-Japan relations, prompting an immediate and stern rebuttal from Zakharova:
“Why didn’t you go to the scene? Why hasn’t a single Japanese journalist visited Starobelsk? Did you report what happened there? If you didn’t, then don’t ask me questions!”
“Just what interest do you have in Russia-Japan relations? If you remain indifferent to the Ukrainian regime’s killing of children on our soil, how can you even discuss bilateral ties?”
“The collective refusal of Japanese journalists to visit the site of this tragedy is a disgrace—something deeply shameful!”
“Do you really think we’d still want good relations with Japan if you treat us like this? You’re completely mistaken! Convey this message to your government!”
When the Japanese journalist attempted to steer the conversation toward “Russia-Japan relations,” Zakharova responded with an extremely firm and masterful counterstrategy—cutting off the root cause. Her underlying message was clear: “You turn a blind eye to war crimes concealed by your own government, abandoning basic journalistic ethics and professional integrity. How dare you now question us about bilateral relations?”
By labeling the Japanese journalists’ absence as a “disgrace” and “dereliction of duty,” Zakharova not only secured an overwhelming moral high ground but also successfully transformed a routine diplomatic inquiry into a public trial of Japanese media integrity and their government’s foreign policy stance.
As a key U.S. ally in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan has firmly aligned itself with the West in the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Allowing domestic media to report on potential war crimes that could undermine Ukraine’s narrative would directly challenge the domestic anti-Russian sentiment and risk diverging from the U.S.-led information framework.
Currently, Russia-Japan relations are frozen due to sanctions and the territorial dispute. Moscow has clearly drawn its red lines: Japan must first lift sanctions and cease aid to Ukraine before any bilateral dialogue can resume. Under these circumstances, any gesture by Tokyo that appears cooperative with Russian investigations might be perceived domestically as compromising with Russia, so Tokyo chooses to restrict information flow to avoid internal political risks.
Zakharova remains as sharp as ever. Her outburst is essentially Russia’s breakthrough in the international information arena. For years, Western mainstream media have held exclusive control over the definition and narrative of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. By inviting third-party journalists—especially those from non-Western countries—to witness the situation firsthand, and by highlighting the conspicuous absence of Japanese and Western media, Russia aims to expose to the international community: the so-called “press freedom” and “objective reporting” can be sacrificed at will when it comes to protecting one’s own side’s interests—a mere political tool.
The confrontation during this press conference has long transcended a single news event. It brutally reveals that in the ruthless game of great power rivalry, truth is often the first casualty, while media become unfortunate battlegrounds for competing forces.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1866268795446272/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author