Kremlin says relations with Tokyo are at zero, with no dialogue on a World War II peace treaty due to Japan’s “unfriendly” stance.

MOSCOW: The Kremlin declared on Friday that relations with Japan have been reduced to zero, with no ongoing dialogue towards a formal World War II peace treaty.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov attributed the diplomatic freeze to what he called Tokyo’s “unfriendly stance” towards Moscow.

“There is no dialogue, and it is impossible to discuss the issue of a peace treaty without dialogue,” Peskov told reporters. He added that Russia had “never been in favour of ending this dialogue”.

The primary obstacle to a treaty remains the unresolved territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories.

In her address to parliament, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi acknowledged the difficult relations but reaffirmed her government’s position. “Although Japan-Russia relations are in a tough spot, the Japanese government’s position remains unchanged, aiming to resolve the territorial issue and conclude a peace treaty,” she said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

Peskov countered that under the current circumstances, reaching any agreements was unlikely without a change in the relationship’s framework.

 The Sun Malaysia