Eighty years after World War II, Russia and Japan still have no peace treaty — and now Moscow says there’s no dialogue at all.
Russia has declared that there is no ongoing dialogue with Japan toward a formal peace treaty, saying bilateral relations have effectively collapsed amid what the Kremlin describes as Tokyo’s “unfriendly” stance.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday that ties between Moscow and Tokyo have been “reduced to zero,” making discussions about a long-delayed peace agreement impossible under current conditions.
“There is no dialogue, and it is impossible to discuss the issue of a peace treaty without dialogue,” Peskov said during a daily briefing. He added that Russia had not sought to end discussions but argued that the deterioration in relations had made progress unlikely.
The dispute centers on the Kuril Islands — known in Japan as the Northern Territories — a chain of islands seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War II. The territorial disagreement has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal peace treaty, leaving the wartime conflict technically unresolved nearly eight decades later.
In her inaugural address to parliament on Friday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed Tokyo’s long-standing position. Despite strained ties, she said Japan remains committed to resolving the territorial issue and concluding a peace treaty with Russia.
However, Moscow’s tone suggests little appetite for movement. Peskov indicated that without a change in the broader framework of relations — including Japan’s alignment with Western sanctions and policies following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — no agreements are likely.
The breakdown underscores the widening geopolitical divide between Russia and U.S.-aligned nations in Asia. Japan has imposed sanctions on Moscow and increased coordination with NATO partners, further complicating prospects for reconciliation.
For now, the decades-old territorial dispute remains frozen — another casualty of a broader global realignment that has hardened diplomatic positions on both sides.
