Ambassador: Japan welcomes Ukraine’s decision on Northern Territories

"The decisions made by the Verkhovna Rada and the President of Ukraine [on the Northern Territories of Japan] were positively perceived by the Japanese society as a just step of a friendly country. Japan has no intention to return the Northern territories by force, but the joint actions of Ukraine and Japan in the political and legal field, especially taking into account Russia's aggression against Ukraine, should contribute to the punishment of the aggressor and the return of all the territories it occupied," Ambassador of Ukraine to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky told Ukrinform on Saturday.

The Ambassador pointed out that Ukraine's recognition of the four Southern Kuril Islands, which are called the Northern Territories in Japan, as those belonging to Japan is fair and legally justified. The diplomat noted that these islands had been occupied by the USSR and remained under the occupation of Russia.

"Actually, the decisions of the Verkhovna Rada and the President of Ukraine remove the contradictions that existed until now between the position of Ukraine as a sovereign and independent state and the legacy of the USSR," Korsunsky noted.

In this context, the Ambassador of Ukraine added that it was the USSR that had illegally occupied four islands belonging to Japan. The Soviet authorities evicted the native inhabitants from there, actually annexing the territory of another state.

"Russia is the successor of the USSR and continues to pursue the policy of occupation. But this does not apply to Ukraine like the rest of the democratic world. Now Ukraine's position is clear and understandable: we recognize Japan's sovereignty over Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and Habomai and call on the world community to facilitate their return to Japan," the diplomat explained.

He also drew attention to the fact that Ukraine and Japan are two countries in relation to which Russia pursues a policy of annexation.

Korsunsky noted that Japan's many years of attempts to resolve the issue of the return of the Northern territories through negotiations were unsuccessful, and Moscow repeatedly stated that the return was impossible.

According to the diplomat, Russia, in fact, does not conceal that the islands were captured contrary to the agreements adopted after World War II but categorically refuses to question its illegal actions.

The Ambassador of Ukraine also noted that the authorities of the Russian Federation were taking demonstrative steps aimed at the "development" of the disputed islands located in a depressed area.

"However, in fact, Etorofu has been turned into a naval base, where ballistic and cruise missiles, units of the Russian Navy are stationed. These territories are not developed," the diplomat stated.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted an appeal to the international community regarding the Northern territories of Japan. The appeal is aimed at preventing the tolerance of occupation-related issues and drawing attention at the international level to the need to support Japan's sovereign territories and speed up the actual implementation of the 1956 agreements.

President Zelensky recognized by his decree the Northern Territories of Japan (the Southern Kuril Islands) as occupied by Russia and instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to proceed from the position that the Northern territories are an integral part of the sovereign territory of Japan.

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