09:56 24-10-2025

Japan’s New PM Sanae Takaichi Seeks Peace Treaty With Russia

Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tokyo aims to resolve its territorial dispute and sign a peace treaty with Russia while reaffirming its alliance with the United States.

Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has declared that Tokyo intends to conclude a long-awaited peace treaty with Moscow. The statement came during her first policy address to the lower house of parliament, broadcast live on the legislature’s official website.

Takaichi noted that relations between Japan and Russia remain strained but reaffirmed that her government’s policy is aimed at settling the long-standing territorial issue.

Addressing the situation in Ukraine, the prime minister described it as a «unilateral attempt to alter the status quo," emphasizing that Japan continues to view its alliance with the United States as the cornerstone of national foreign policy.

She also stated that Tokyo and Washington will deepen cooperation on defense and security, enhancing the capabilities of the U.S.-Japan strategic partnership. Takaichi added that she plans to hold talks with U. S. President Donald Trump during his upcoming visit to Japan to establish a relationship of trust.

The peace treaty issue between Japan and Russia has remained unresolved since the end of World War II. In 1956, the Soviet Union and Japan signed a Joint Declaration in which Moscow expressed readiness to consider transferring the Habomai and Shikotan islands to Japan after the signing of a peace treaty. However, the document did not mention the larger islands of Kunashir and Iturup.

While the Soviet side regarded the declaration as a final settlement, Tokyo interpreted it as a temporary step and continued to press its claims over all the disputed islands.