- 15 Feb 2019 05:01
#14988272
The Kuril Islands are ideal for deploying US missiles, Japanese media reported. If missiles are deployed on the islands, then the Japanese and Americans "can defend themselves against North Korea's ballistic missiles." In addition, the missiles on Kuril Islands will allow to block the port of Vladivostok- the base of the Pacific Fleet of Russia.
The four islands of the Kuril Ridge, claimed by Japan, may be ideal for deploying American antimissiles because of their geographic location. This point of view was expressed in the pages of the Japan Business Press.
The deployment of US missile defense systems on the Kuriles will strengthen the defense of Japan and America against North Korea’s ballistic missiles, the article notes. At the same time, Iturup Island is best suited for a missile base.
In addition, American missiles on Iturup "will allow Washington to block the port of Vladivostok - the base of the Russian Pacific Fleet."
It is thanks to the four islands of the Kuril ridge that Russia controls the freezing Catherine Strait between the islands of Iturup and Kunashir, and Russian ships can go into the Pacific Ocean, the newspaper notes.
“If Russia gives up all four islands or even only three, with the exception of Iturup, then it is likely that Japan and the USA will block the Catherine Strait,” the author says. In addition, the deployment of American missiles and radars on the Kuril Islands will help the US track the launches of Russian missiles from the Sea of Okhotsk.
Federation Council member Oleg Morozov believes that the discourse on the possible deployment of American missiles in the Kuril Islands "destroys the possibility of resolving the long-term issue" in Russian-Japanese relations.
The senator drew attention to the fact that the authors of the material "either work against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from domestic political views, or give a signal to the Americans that the military-strategic benefits should push them to begin putting pressure on Russia."
Valery Kistanov, head of the Center for Japanese Studies at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that Tokyo is being led by Washington after the end of World War II.
“Japan simply repeats what the Americans say. They have always been in the wake of the United States, since the end of the Second World War, in all positions of international disputes. Of course, this will be perceived negatively by the Russian side. No official will speak directly about this, but this will be taken into account,” the expert said.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said earlier that a peace treaty with Russia would also be beneficial for the United States. “The conclusion of a peace treaty by Japan and Russia will have a positive impact on regional stability. I think this will be a plus for the United States,” said Abe. He added that at present Russians live on the four Kuril Islands, but the territorial problem will continue to exist until part of them goes to the Japanese side.
The four islands of the Small Kuril Ridge — Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai — are called “northern territories” in Japan and are considered illegally annexed. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia repeatedly stated that Russian sovereignty over the islands has the appropriate international legal framework and is not subject to doubt.
The four islands of the Kuril Ridge, claimed by Japan, may be ideal for deploying American antimissiles because of their geographic location. This point of view was expressed in the pages of the Japan Business Press.
The deployment of US missile defense systems on the Kuriles will strengthen the defense of Japan and America against North Korea’s ballistic missiles, the article notes. At the same time, Iturup Island is best suited for a missile base.
In addition, American missiles on Iturup "will allow Washington to block the port of Vladivostok - the base of the Russian Pacific Fleet."
It is thanks to the four islands of the Kuril ridge that Russia controls the freezing Catherine Strait between the islands of Iturup and Kunashir, and Russian ships can go into the Pacific Ocean, the newspaper notes.
“If Russia gives up all four islands or even only three, with the exception of Iturup, then it is likely that Japan and the USA will block the Catherine Strait,” the author says. In addition, the deployment of American missiles and radars on the Kuril Islands will help the US track the launches of Russian missiles from the Sea of Okhotsk.
Federation Council member Oleg Morozov believes that the discourse on the possible deployment of American missiles in the Kuril Islands "destroys the possibility of resolving the long-term issue" in Russian-Japanese relations.
The senator drew attention to the fact that the authors of the material "either work against Prime Minister Shinzo Abe from domestic political views, or give a signal to the Americans that the military-strategic benefits should push them to begin putting pressure on Russia."
Valery Kistanov, head of the Center for Japanese Studies at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that Tokyo is being led by Washington after the end of World War II.
“Japan simply repeats what the Americans say. They have always been in the wake of the United States, since the end of the Second World War, in all positions of international disputes. Of course, this will be perceived negatively by the Russian side. No official will speak directly about this, but this will be taken into account,” the expert said.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said earlier that a peace treaty with Russia would also be beneficial for the United States. “The conclusion of a peace treaty by Japan and Russia will have a positive impact on regional stability. I think this will be a plus for the United States,” said Abe. He added that at present Russians live on the four Kuril Islands, but the territorial problem will continue to exist until part of them goes to the Japanese side.
The four islands of the Small Kuril Ridge — Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai — are called “northern territories” in Japan and are considered illegally annexed. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia repeatedly stated that Russian sovereignty over the islands has the appropriate international legal framework and is not subject to doubt.