Aides to Russian President Vladimir Putin have criticized Japan in an apparent attempt to pressure the country for its sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday pointed out in a social media post that Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio proposes to cap the price of Russian oil at around half its current level. Medvedev said that would lead to significantly less oil on the market and push up prices.
He added that Japan “would have neither oil nor gas from Russia, as well as no participation in the Sakhalin-2” oil and natural gas development project as a result.
Last Thursday, Putin signed a decree to replace the project’s operator with a new Russian firm to be established by the government.
Two Japanese trading houses have stakes in the project, but the level of their involvement is now in doubt.
Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, a close aid of Putin, said on Tuesday that Japan is ramping up its “revanchist aspirations” for the Kuril Islands.
Russia says the Kuril Islands include four islands claimed by Japan. Russia controls the four islands which Japan calls the Northern Territories. The Japanese government maintains the Northern Territories are an inherent part of Japan’s territory. It says the islands were illegally occupied after World War Two.
Leave a Reply