Abe Shinzo met Vladimir Putin 27 times between 2012 and 2020. But under Kishida Fumio, Japan is backing Ukraine and beside the West
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskThe arrival of Russian soldiers in Ukraine has conjured up painful memories for former residents. It has also precipitated a dramatic shift in Japan’s policy towards Russia. The Japanese government long sought to maintain friendlier relations than its Western partners, in part to ease negotiations for the return of the islands.
One motivation for the change is domestic. The Japanese public overwhelmingly supports tough measures against Russia. Another is geopolitical. If Japan opted out of the Western coalition this time, it would be harder to call for solidarity in an Asian security crisis. Japanese officials may also calculate that a second aim of engaging Russia—driving a wedge between it and China—will be near impossible as Russian dependence on China increases after the war.
Russia does not directly threaten Hokkaido, but it can still make trouble, especially in concert with China and North Korea. On March 25th some 3,000 of its troops held drills on the disputed islands. Russian ships have been unusually active near Japan in recent weeks. Russia called off the peace-treaty negotiations and cancelled visa-free travel for former residents of the islands.
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