Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin on Wednesday warned that Japan's plans to adopt punitive measures against Russia in line with tougher sanctions imposed on Moscow by some Western nations in the event of military aggression in Ukraine would be "counterproductive."
The envoy's remarks came after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged during a virtual summit with U.S President Joe Biden late last month to take "strong action in response to any attack" on Ukraine by Russia, which has increased its military presence on the border fueling concern about a possible invasion.
"I think that these remarks about so-called strong actions against Russia are counterproductive," Galuzin told a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo. "They would not contribute to the creation of good atmosphere, positive atmosphere in a dialogue between Russia and Japan."
On Tuesday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press conference that Tokyo will give consideration to what kind of action it can take.
Any sanctions by Japan would "contradict the agreement between our leaders to develop all-round relations between Russia and Japan," Galuzin said, referring to a bilateral agreement in 2018 to accelerate talks toward concluding a peace treaty to formally end World War II hostilities based on a 1956 joint declaration by the two countries.
The declaration mentioned the transfer to Japan of two of four groups of islands seized by the Soviet Union at the end of the war, over which Japan and Russia have a decades-old dispute concerning their sovereignty. The territorial row has prevented them from signing a peace treaty.
Galuzin implied that Japan's policy against Russia over the Ukraine issue could affect future negotiations regarding a peace treaty.
The Russian ambassador also condemned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's eastward expansion as creating a "deep and systematic crisis."
"All the U.S. and NATO want is to prevent natural brother-like coexistence of our two states and people."
Asked about the intention of recent joint military exercises by Russia and China, Galuzin said it is "natural for two neighboring countries" to strengthen their security cooperation.
"Taking into account that Russia and China are strategic partners, they are just doing their job, and the job is to protect the national interests of Russia and China, respectively, and the area of security to defend our borders," the envoy said.
