Washington’s new ambassador in Tokyo, Rahm Emanuel, has hit out at his Russian counterpart for saying Japan is hindering the resolution of a long-running territorial dispute that has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty to formally end WWII.
Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Emanuel wrote, “the Russian Ambassador’s timing to intimidate Japan could not have been worse and lacks self-awareness with Northern Territories Day on Monday. Rules and respect count. The US stands with Japan and its Prime Minister for our shared values and principles.”
The US envoy, who arrived in Japan last week, was referring to recent comments by Russian ambassador Mikhail Galuzin, who told the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan on Wednesday that recent statements by the Japanese government were “counterproductive and do not contribute to creating a positive atmosphere for dialogue between Russia and Japan.”
Replying to Emanuel in a statement on Thursday, Galuzin said “the time is right” to raise the issue and that Moscow’s position is supported by international law despite the “illegal claims” from Tokyo.