Overview
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi declared in a policy speech that her government seeks to resolve the Northern Territories dispute and conclude a peace treaty with Russia.
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow welcomes the statement and supports the conclusion of a treaty, according to TASS.
- Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Rudenko linked Takaichi to Shinzo Abe’s team and urged that she act based on Japan’s national interests.
- Japan has maintained sanctions on Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, after which Moscow labeled Japan a non‑friendly country and halted peace‑treaty talks and cemetery visits for former islanders.
- Takaichi has brought in Abe-era adviser Naoya Imai as a Cabinet Secretariat advisor, signaling continuity even as expectations for substantive change remain low.