We would like Japan to stop its efforts to turn public opinion, in a artificial and unfriendly way, against Russia, by using the so-called 'northern territories' problem.
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Junior Russian Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin, in an interview with the Russian daily Vremya Novosti. (AFP)
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usaexpat
Let's get some historical context shall we? The "Northern Territories" issue is a result of Russia declaring war on Japan in the last days of wwII and starting to invade the northern islands as well as Korea and Manchukuo. I'm not sure what in particular Japan has been doing lately to turn oppinion against the Russians but I was under the impression that there was finally some negotiation going on this issue. As for public oppinion on Russia they have more to worry about in the fallout from their armed conflict with Georgia these past few weeks than a 60 year old issue like the Kurils. Now as this thread will ultimately turn to posession issues and wwII agression let me state clearly that the Russians should still have public oppinion against them for remaining in the lands they "liberated" from the axis powers. The entire Soviet block in its day was the equivalent of Manchuria under Japanese control, puppet states and nothing more. Look to Georgia and view Russia with a wary eye, the Iron Curtain wasn't broken that long ago.
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UnagiDon
The reason this is a story now is because Russia is upset that Japan refers to these islands as illegally occupied in textbooks. Before the usual suspects chime in with non-sequiturs about Takeshima or the Senkakus, I think the fact (as already mentioned) that the USSR invaded them 3 days AFTER Japan surrendered is pretty damning for the Russian side.
Full story ar http://www.france24.com/en/20080806-russia-criticises-japan-over-kuril-islands-report
since JT can't see fit to link to the stories they get these quotes from.
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