politics

Abe, Putin to accelerate WWII treaty talks

23 Comments
By Alexey Druzhinin

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Where are all the anti-Russian, return the islands ranting folks here? THOSE islands are truly occupied, but nary a peep here about the legality or otherwise of Russia's claims.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

The islands were ceded to Japan by Russia after the 1905 war. Turnabout is fair play?

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

If Japan continue to request all four islands, there will not be a solution. I heard it a good news and thought Abe did a good job. Later, I checked Habomai and Shikotan on a map. I was disappointed the two islands Japan may get back are very very small compared with the other two Kunashiri and Etorofu. Kunashiri is deeply thrusting into Japan.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

It took 5 years for Abe to be ready, and how many Japanese died during the period of time ?

-8 ( +0 / -8 )

The Treaty Of Saint Petersburg (1875) should be reinstated then everything would be hunky dory.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

This is one battle can and never will win.

Abe would be best off to encourage Russian development of the islands and to promote tourism. That way both countries would benefit. Japan should drop it’s aggressive pro war stance with its neighbors.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Jeff HuffmanToday  06:47 am JST

The islands were ceded to Japan by Russia after the 1905 war. Turnabout is fair play?

Wrong, The four islands in question became Japanese through a signed treaty with Russia in 1855.

"The first Russo-Japanese agreement to deal with the status of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands was the 1855 Treaty of Shimoda, which first established official relations between Russia and Japan. Article 2 of the Treaty of Shimoda, which provided for an agreement on borders, states "Henceforth the boundary between the two nations shall lie between the islands of Etorofu and Uruppu. The whole of Etorofu shall belong to Japan; and the Kuril Islands, lying to the north of and including Uruppu, shall belong to Russia." The islands of Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands, that all lie to the south of Uturup, are not explicitly mentioned in the treaty and were understood at the time to be a non-disputed part of Japan. The treaty also specified that the island of Sakhalin/Karafuto was not to be partitioned but was to remain under a joint Russo-Japanese condominium

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuril_Islands_dispute

There's no "fair play" at all since Russia invaded these Japanese islands after Japan declared surrender. But then, gobbling up territory was a major global Soviet pastime in 1945.

The U.S,. and U.K, considers these islands to be Japanese territory under Russian "administration" (occupation).

6 ( +11 / -5 )

@burning. When Israel orders USA to invade Iran, there will be oil from the Middle East. Russia is a short boat ride away and has stacks of oil and gas. That might be a clue.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

Oops, no oil.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

"I am ready to give enough time to this, the peace treaty."

Hehe, love it. Its only been 70 years. Somethings definitely happening this time though ay fellas? They must think the public are a bunch of absolute mugs.

Politicians making things happen innit.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

They both look like they are sitting on something else with those facial expressions.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

I agree with OssanAmerica, ALL 4 islands returned to Japan or NO Peace Treaty. The islands are historically Japanese. Let the islanders return to live in their ancetral homes Even if it take 10 years to get the islands back, this is a very promising start.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

This is actually a "step down" for Abe & Co.

He (and other ldp bods) have argued exclusively for the matter of the islands sovereignty to be resolved before any peace treaty negotiations. This has been policy for decades.

They could have accepted the 2 smaller islands and had a peace treaty many years ago - but the official line was return of all four islands first.

Now Abe is trying to play this (perhaps we will negotiate the peace treaty first) up as some kind of victory for the citizens of Japan.

As Marcelito said - it will look good in the eyes of the bedazzled before next years election.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

'willing to talk peace'? What drivel!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Hoppo Ryodo?  Lost ancestral lands of Japan?

The lack of formal peace treaty is constant source of worry and concern for your average Taro in the street.

Abe can't afford to make peace without getting something back.  the black van crew will be incandescent.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Russian tin cans will sail nearby regardless

0 ( +0 / -0 )

browny1Today  10:57 am JST

He (and other ldp bods) have argued exclusively for the matter of the islands sovereignty to be resolved before any peace treaty negotiations. This has been policy for decades.

They could have accepted the 2 smaller islands and had a peace treaty many years ago - but the official line was return of all four islands first.

It was the U.S. that pressured Japan into not agreeing to the 2 island deal by threatening to hold up the return of Okinawa. Now Japan no longer has that concern.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Perhaps the Japanese do not want to have a lot of Navy ships polluting their Northern waters.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ossan - you are correct. US pressure ensured no deal was ever done.

But in the post Okinawa, post cold war era, Japan has had many opportunities to negotiate a solution.

That they haven't is probably due to pressure from the LDP conservative base which sees the only outcome as "4 islands good, 2 islands bad".

In reality though, Russia - who I have no leaning towards re their actions over the decades - do possess the islands. They have a permanent population of up to 20,000 people. They are developing fishing, tourism & agricultural industries there as well as establishing security / military enterprises.

To give up that would be a serious black mark on any politician in Russia. They would be under a barrage of attacks domestically.

They will of course welcome Japanese capital in the form of $billions for infrastructure aid and co-operative commercial developments, but ownership will never return to Japan. The 2 smaller islands maybe, but not Kunashiri & Etorofu.

So any glossing of this matter by Abe as some sought of victory to be had is just that - glossing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

They are developing fishing, tourism & agricultural industries there as well as establishing security / military enterprises.

To give up that would be a serious black mark on any politician in Russia. They would be under a barrage of attacks domestically.

That's not the biggest problem. Main thing is a relationships between Japan and US. During the German reunification US assured Soviets that NATO would not expand on the east, and now they're sharing borders. Since US already has base in Okinawa, that would be stupid for Russia to give those islands to US's ally.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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