Published: 10:52, July 25, 2024
Moscow says will respond if Japan shifts nuclear-free policy
By Xinhua
This undated file photo shows the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia in Moscow. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

MOSCOW/TOKYO -  Russia will take adequate measures if Japan moves away from being a non-nuclear weapons state, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said on Wednesday.

Rudenko told local media that Russia is concerned about possible moves by Japan regarding its nuclear status, whether through joining US nuclear missions, conducting multilateral exercises that involve allied strategic aircraft certified to carry out nuclear missions, or discussing the potential placement of American intermediate-range missiles on Japanese territory.

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He noted that Tokyo should understand that any threats to Russia's Far Eastern borders will be met with a response from Moscow aimed at strengthening security.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said earlier that Japan's remilitarization efforts could destabilize the security of the Asia-Pacific region.

Rudenko's statement comes ahead of security talks between foreign and defense ministers from Japan and the US on July 28 that for the first time will cover "extended deterrence", a term used to describe the US commitment to use its nuclear forces to deter attacks on allies.

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Washington and Tokyo in April announced a historic upgrade to the US-Japan alliance, first signed in 1951.

The security talks with Japan will also include efforts to deepen cooperation between defense industries and upgrade command structures to improve coordination between their militaries.

"These historic 2+2 talks will cement our shift from a focus on Alliance protection to one of Alliance projection," US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will also hold a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart during the visit. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will hold three-way talks with his counterparts from Japan and South Korea.

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The talks come as the US considers the biggest potential revamp of its East Asia military command structure in decades as Japan plans to establish a new joint headquarters to oversee its Self Defense Forces by next March.

Japan provides a base for the US to project its military power in Asia, hosting 54,000 American troops, hundreds of its aircraft and Washington's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier strike group.

Japan has pushed for non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and is the only country to have suffered atomic bomb attacks.

With Reuters inputs