Japan receives a protest from Russia regarding joint NATO exercises

Russia objected to Tokyo’s intentions on Friday, claiming Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was leading his nation “on a path to dangerous escalation” and that Tokyo was planning to perform joint military drills on Hokkaido.

In a statement posted on its website, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Japan’s embassy had received a protest over the revelation that drills with Germany and Spain would take place later this month.

According to the message, Tokyo was informed that military action near Russia’s far eastern coast would be “categorically unacceptable,” especially in light of NATO members who are positioned far away.

According to the ministry statement, “We view such activity as a potential threat to the security of the Russian Federation.”

“It was stressed that the irresponsible policy of the administration of Prime Minister F. Kishida is placing Tokyo on a path of dangerous escalation in Northeast Asia and throughout the Asia-Pacific region.”

According to the statement, Russia has sent a warning about the need for countermeasures to protect the nation’s defense capabilities.

Since Russia attacked its neighbor more than two years ago, Japan has supported Ukraine.

A territorial issue involving four islands off the coast of Hokkaido that Moscow, which governs them, refers to as the Kuril Islands but Japan refers to as the Northern Territories has not been resolved by Tokyo and Moscow.

Since the Soviet Union seized the islands at the close of World War Two, the disagreement has stopped the two sides from signing a peace treaty.

Japan has frequently voiced concern over Russia’s augmentation of its military installations on the disputed islands.