Russia - Japan Relations Are Still In A Deep Freeze

Wall Street Journal

David J. Kramer, American Interest: The Word in Tokyo: Crimea

Faced with its own long-standing territorial issues with Russia, Japan under Shinzo Abe is holding a strong line against the illegal annexation of Crimea.

It took a recent trip to Japan to hear “Crimea” mentioned whenever the subject of Russia came up. Two years after Russia invaded Ukraine, starting with Crimea and its illegal annexation, one rarely hears about the peninsula these days in Europe or the United States. Distracted by Russian actions in Syria, Western government officials and analysts have essentially written off Crimea as a part of Russia over which Ukraine will never regain possession. When they do focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, they zero in on Russia’s ongoing aggression in eastern Ukraine—which merits a strong Western response much like the annexation of Crimea does.

Japanese officials are mindful of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas region as well. But every time the issue of Russia and Japan-Russian relations came up during a week-long visit to Tokyo last week at the invitation of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, our Japanese interlocutors, whether from the government, media, or think tank world, started their reply with Crimea.

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WNU Editor: Crimea cannot be compared to the islands that are in dispute north of Japan .... and this is Japan's mistake. Crimea is a heavily populated peninsula that is dominated by Russian speaking people .... their loyalties are to Russia not Ukraine .... especially now. But the islands that are in dispute north of Japan is a different story. They are lightly populated .... and this dispute is now primarily political with both sides determined to not back down. I personally believe that an accommodation on these islands will be found in the future .... but for now .... it is distraction that diverts people's attentions from other issues, and in Japan's case .... it is its economy that is Prime Minister Abe's biggest concern .... Why Abenomics is failing (Takamitsu Sawa, Japan Times).