Putin says it is naive to expect quick settling of island dispute with Japan

That's a polite way of saving "Never".

Another foreign policy fizzle, but at least the plane ride would have been comfortable.

It's naive to think you can trust Russia.

Those islands were payback for the war they lost against Japan. They’re gone.

It was naive to think that Abe didn't know exactly what Putin would say, but will continue to mislead the people of Japan.

Putin is not likely to concede the islands to Japan.

He knows that there was a lot of Russian blood spilled getting those islands....

It was naive to think that Abe didn't know exactly what Putin would say, but will continue to mislead the people of Japan.

Exactly the same thing happened earlier this year, before the St. Petersburg forum. Abe and his chums in the media massively raised expectations only to return minimal results. It was a near total failure and he's just going through the motions now.

https://thediplomat.com/2018/06/abes-russia-trip-comes-to-an-underwhelming-end/

Hopes were dashed much quicker than you could say "Crimea"

Gime gime gime, yet again, out of his league. What a joke!!

"Abe and his chums in the media massively raised expectations only to return minimal results."

True for many.

After followging this for years, I wasn't fooled.

It would be historical if Abe could cut the deal.

Without Abe or without Putin, either of them wil be easy to have a good compromise about the Northern Territories. However Putin would be the last chance to find ways to negociate. Abe shows untrusty actions to Putin on his too close approaches to Trump. It isn't going to anywhere only their faces focused for Eastern Economic Forum.

agree @ Wallace Fred Gime gime gime, yet again, out of his league. What a joke!!

@ossanamer It's naive to think you can trust Russia.

But resource poor Japan under the leadership of Abe and the LDP has limited the development of alternative energies, opting instead to rely on burning oil, gas and even coal for most of its energy. 

This alone gives Russia with its vast reserves of oil and gas leverage in all negotiations with Japan. 

Until Japan can become more self-reliant and use its technological expertise to come up with alternatives to burning huge amounts of hydrocarbons, among other things, it’ll remain vulnerable to the world’s empires, i.e. the US, China and Russia.

Abe is just another silver spoon fed LDP incompetant politican, and he wants to sit across the table from Putin, argueably one the most dangerous and savvy politicians on the world stage? Seriously? Putin clawed his way to the top from the USSR and a broken 90s Russia from the KGB. This man is not an easy adversary. Meanwhile, Abe has been pampered his entire life and cruised into the political scene in Japan. He is a mouse fighting a Tiger. He does not have what it takes to negociate with Putin. He needs to stop because Putin will run even more circles around him and make him look even dumber than he already does.

It's always funny to see those Japanese nationalists like Abe playing the tough guys in Japan with all their military rhetoric, and then see them becoming little kittens in front of Putin or Trump.

It's always funny to see those Japanese nationalists like Abe playing the tough guys in Japan with all their military rhetoric, and then see them becoming little kittens in front of Putin or Trump.

So so True!! Best quote I've heard so far today! LOL

I think its naive to think that Japan would get anything back from Russia under the current political state and for nothing.

Russia also lost the last series of wars against Japan and having Japans Northern Most Islands kinda is protection and revenge for that.

kurisupisuToday  07:16 am JST

Putin is not likely to concede the islands to Japan.

He knows that there was a lot of Russian blood spilled getting those islands....

Not really.

Soviet troops, at least 962 killed,at least 1,026 wounded.

Japanese troops, at least 1,018 killed or wounded, 50,422 surrendered.

The high surrender number is because Japan had already surrendered when the Soviets decided to attack,

Nothing will happen to Putin's Russia about the territorial issue. We have to wait a time when Russia makes a revolutional change as it happened at the time of Gorbachev. That is unlikely to happen.

That picture says a lot just by their postures !

putin looks like he is ready to choke the life out of Abe .

No danger Russia is ever going to hand those Islands back to Japan.

Let's take a look at both the players here.

As mentioned above. Putin got where he is the hard way. One look from his cold steely eyes would scare the bejesus out of anyone.

Then we have Abe. Pampered upbringing. And lets face it...the guy wouldn't look out of place driving a taxi.

They are unalike as can be. And Abe is no world politician. Maybe Kono could pull it off but not Abe.

Russia can’t return Japan’s islands or anything. How would Russia / Putin get away with not returning what belongs to other nations? Can’t Abe understand this? Is Japan special, as I’ve mentioned before? Is this what the change of the constitution is all about? Pushing this issue is looking for war. Guaranteed.

It is not going to be easy and Putin is honest. Japan unfortunately lost the best time window many years ago to resolve the issue. Russia is going up while Japan is going down, another unfortunate.

"I will continue to make utmost efforts with President Putin to bring an end to the issue,"

Another Abe vow, meaning it won't happen. And Putin knows that, and laughs while Japan pours money into Russia while it holds all the cards.

talaraedoko: "Russia can’t return Japan’s islands or anything."

Well, they're not Japanese, amigo.

Put-in money

Putin is not looking for money, Abe should have a correct understanding of the issue.

So Putin is after flowers instead?

Perhaps a dog.

Those islands were payback for the war they lost against Japan. They’re gone.

yep , Japan is a milking cow, and Putin is the farmer with big hands

all for domestic press propaganda. how can putin keep a straight face when belittling abe?

Not just naive but totally unrealistic. Russia will never give back those Islands but they will string Japan along to squeeze as much as they can out of them.. Russia has plenty of experience in expropriating other countries land.

expatToday  12:08 pm JST

The Russians cede territory just as willingly as the next country down the list... these islands were historically Russian until 1906,

Wrong. "These islands" refer to the four nearest Japan. Not the entire Kurile chain.

They were Japanese from 1855 through a Treaty negotiated between Russia and Japan. They were never Russian until they invaded and occupied them in 1945 after Japan had already declared surrender.

I don't trust either of them.