Share:The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Monday that the country will expand its military construction on the Kuril Islands in the North Pacific, disputed by Japan. The move will almost certainly provoke a protest from Japan, which considers the Kuril Islands its territories. After the war, however, Japan rejected the Soviet Union's sovereignty over the islands. Due to the dispute, Russia and Japan never signed a peace treaty and technically are still at war. Russian authorities fear the possible deployment of US missile systems on the islands if they are returned to Japan, creating a direct military threat to Russia.

Source: The Nation August 09, 2021 14:15 UTC