According to the “Russia Today” website and the Japan Broadcasting Association, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on August 12 in the Russian Far Eastern city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk that the Japanese government's territorial claims on the South Kuril Islands are unfounded, and that the Japanese government also imposed unfounded sanctions on Russia under the pretext of the situation in Ukraine. Putin also said that Japan is Russia's neighbor, but the country used the situation in Ukraine as an excuse to impose unwarranted sanctions on Russia without thoroughly understanding the background of this conflict. Putin said that Russia has built a constructive relationship with Japan, but unfortunately, Japan seems to have changed its position, and this transformation was not caused by Russia.

According to the “Russia Today” website and the Japan Broadcasting Association, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on August 12 in the Russian Far Eastern city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk that the Japanese government's territorial claims on the South Kuril Islands are unfounded, and that the Japanese government also imposed unfounded sanctions on Russia under the pretext of the situation in Ukraine. Putin also said that Japan is Russia's neighbor, but the country used the situation in Ukraine as an excuse to impose unwarranted sanctions on Russia without thoroughly understanding the background of this conflict. Putin said that Russia has built a constructive relationship with Japan, but unfortunately, Japan seems to have changed its position, and this transformation was not caused by Russia.