“Ukrainian Deadlock” in Russian-Japanese Relations

The special military operation (SMO) of Russia in Ukraine, which began in February 2022, according to the Japanese ruling circles, was one of the reasons that now not only the international situation in the world as a whole has become more complicated, but also the security situation around Japan has sharply worsened. Referring to the thesis of the inseparability of the security of the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions, Japan intends to strengthen relations with NATO in order to counter the "aggressive intentions" of both China and Russia in these regions. After the start of the SMO, the situation in bilateral relations between Russia and Japan has changed dramatically for the worse. Acting in unison with other G7 countries, Japan joined the anti-Russian sanctions and took a number of other measures aimed at limiting bilateral ties. In parallel with the large-scale sanctioned pressure on Russia, Japan provides all possible financial, material and even indirect military assistance to Ukraine. In response to the actions of the Japanese government, Russia declared Japan an "unfriendly state" and carried out a number of other "mirror" steps of an economic and political nature. As a result, now Russian-Japanese relations have turned out to be at the lowest level in the entire postwar period. To get out of the "Ukrainian deadlock", in which relations between Russia and Japan turned out to be due to the destructive actions of the Japanese side after the start of the Russian SMO in Ukraine, it will take some time and consistent efforts of the two states aimed at restoring fullblooded ties between them. This seems possible only as a result of Tokyo's rejection of the antiRussian course pursued within the framework of policy the collective West towards Russia in connection with the military conflict in Ukraine.

Russia, Japan, Ukraine, special military operation, sanctions, security, peace treaty, territorial issue, southern Kuriles