Russia accuses Japan of whipping up tensions in islands dispute

They aren't wrong, Abe did the same with with NK, keep the Japanese people busy hating someone else.

Japan’s government and its ministries don’t seem to understand the difference between reality and fiction.......

"..the need to prepare residents for the islands' handover to Japan and about dropping a demand for Russia to pay compensation to the islands' former Japanese residents, ..."

Abe is unwise, and provocative. He can't make such a statement before the talk. You need the other side to agree with you first. I am so worried that Abe upsets Russians so carelessly.

Russia won't give an inch.

Russia won't give an inch.

Very true.

And they continue to fortify the area with missiles. Japan should expect the worst in terms of what missiles they eventually put on those islands as well.

Under those circumstances perhaps a treaty is not worth it and certainly any normalization of economic ties should probably be frozen. Why reward an aggressor with better access to the Japanese market? I don't think so.

I hold out less and less hope for these talks.

There was nothing in statements by the Abe Cabinet to "whip up tensions". When the "2 plus 2 " islands handback to Japan is signed off, Russian residents on the islands will have to prepare for moving back home to Russia. This seems strange from the Russian side. Putin offered the Peace Treaty only few months ago. I still think January 21 PM Abe-Putin Summit will be a big success.

This is what tinpot dictatorships do when promised objectives fail. All flaming arrows missed so the fallback is fearmongering. No more NK so let's replace with Russia and or South Korea.

I still think January 21 PM Abe-Putin Summit will be a big success

Its ok to dream.

That's just what the Russians would say!

Russia accuses Japan of whipping up tensions

while Russia whips up tensions around the globe.

Read up people.... those two Islands were originally inhabited by the Ainu.... the Japanese incorporated those islands into Japan overall about 350 years ago. Japan has more historical claim to those Islands than does Russia who basically stole them in the closing days of WWII. The largest country in the world making further land grabs. Russia is made of of a thug like mafia style culture.... one where power and thuggery prevails over debate and law. Its too bad.... because they are overall a brilliant people.... as an American.... I would happily love to see Russia's brilliant honest people immigrate to our country. Leave the thug life behind and get paid finally for your intelligence and hard work. The USA has its problems for sure.... but at least here you will have the opportunity to control the direction of your life.

Nevermind the history and politics. You could just look at the map and tell they should be Japanese. What next, they want to claim Hokkaido?

Little known fact of why the US never objected to Russia grabbing the disputed islands in the Kuril chain: the Japanese Navy assembled their fleet to attack Pearl Harbor at Hitokappu Bay, now called Katsatka Bay -- talk about payback...

Russia is made of of a thug like mafia style culture.... one where power and thuggery prevails over debate and law.

Sounds like some other countries i know.

Do people know the Anu peoples suffer discrimination even though they are occupied by Tokyo?

Just trying to make Putin look like more than a tinplate czar again, eh? Let's blame everybody else for problems caused by the Kremlin.

Then lets just give the land back to the Ainu. Forget the superpowers.

The idea that Russia, under Putin, will return the islands to Japan is about as realistic as them returning Crimea to the Ukraine.

It will never happen.

Japan can claim the islands all they want and there is nothing wrong with Japan standing by its claims for the purposes of international law and all of that, but it should also recognize that it is useless to make false promises to the Japanese people.

Just keeping it real.

SaikoPhyscoToday 08:35 am JST

Read up people.... those two Islands were originally inhabited by the Ainu.... the Japanese incorporated those islands into Japan overall about 350 years ago.

I think you'll find if you read up that the islands were not incorporated into Japan 350 years ago.

Read up people.... those two Islands were originally inhabited by the Ainu.... the Japanese incorporated those islands into Japan overall about 350 years ago. Japan has more historical claim to those Islands than does Russia who basically stole them in the closing days of WWII. 

Everyone knows this, Japan would still own them if it wasn't for WW2. I personally think they should be returned to Japan but in a harsh reality Japan lost them like the lost the war.

No point to conclude a peace treaty with Russia. Unless all 4 islands back, leave them at the status quo as a practical evidence it's not naive talk but power that solves the conflicts.

Interesting how Mr.Abe and the politicians in charge in Japan always talk one side without even listening to the others,besides that Russia made clear that they won't return the islands back,how do they expect to have even a slight chance to get the two southern islands if Japan has a defensive alliance with Russia's strategical rival the U.S?

Now I am no fan of Russia and Putin but it would be dumb from them to give strategical territories near Vladivostok to the US-Japanese alliance.

Abe and his ministers should play their cards better,and all this nationalism will bring no benefits to the region.

What if Germany will suddenly start to knock on Poland,Russia and France to ask them to return back their lost territories?

History is made sadly by wars,won and lost,and we have to accept the outcome of it,especially if we started one.

The islands should stand under Russian control as a testament to the war that claimed many lives.Every generation of young Japanese should ask why the islands were seized in the first place and ponder....

Come on Putin, be nice to Japan! What other country is buying up your sexy calendars like hotcakes?

Those islands are as Japanese as Hokkaido.  Hoppo Ryodo.  give them back.

The Russians see tension over this being whipped up every Sunday morning outside their embassy in Tokyo.

Nevermind the history and politics. You could just look at the map and tell they should be Japanese. What next, they want to claim Hokkaido?

By the same token, should Jersey & Guernsey be french, Corsica Italian, the Falklands argies etc?

It's a bit more complicated than 'just look at a map' am afraid I.e many countries do have overseas territories which are geographically closer to other nations.

I think Abe's giving false hopes to his fellow countrymen here.

Imagine if Russia suddenly moved the capital from Moscow to there, interesting days..

I think the revisionist are just exploiting the Trump hands off approach to the world, and think now is their chance to have a go at their wack intentions. They see this as a chance to instigate trouble, but Russia knows what they are doing. Id like to see the islands returned to Japan, but it aint going to happen, sorry.

No way Japan will get 4 islands back, unlikely to get the 2 small ones either....

Japan was offered 2 of them back in 2006 and Japan refused.

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

Russia wants a peace treaty but Japan wants to keep fear alive and get the Islands back.

https://thediplomat.com/2018/09/putin-offers-japan-peace-treaty-without-any-pre-conditions/

"The ministry cited statements about the need to prepare residents for the islands' handover to Japan and about dropping a demand for Russia to pay compensation to the islands' former Japanese residents, as well as Abe saying that 2019 would bring a breakthrough over the peace treaty."

And once again Japan has just completely screwed itself out of ANY chance of getting ANYthing from Russia. Well done, Japan. Well done. Of course, they'll blame Russia.

Be careful Abe-san, Gospodin Putin may ocupai also Hokaido!

Mister Putin may occupy Hokkaido.

Abe-san, please descend back to Earth! There are much more chances that Putin-son-of-a-gun will occupy Hokkaido than give up even a square millimeter of any of Russian occupied islands!!!

Abe and his nationalist cronies have just shot themselves in the foot, Putin is no fool he will be even more determined not to budge now.

If the Japanese people suddenly woke up to reality tomorrow they would realise that it's not Russia or North Korea or China that is the enemy, it is their own government.

@marcelito: Putin was the one that offered them back, Japan refused saying all or nothing.

A bad agreement is better than no agreement at all. The problem as always are the US pressures against Tokyo.

And why should Russia returns those islands to Japan? Because Abe san is a true tomodachi to Russians?