Russia lodges protest with Japan over US Typhoon missile deployment
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia has lodged a formal protest with Japan, citing concerns over the deployment of U.S.-made medium-range missile systems on the Japanese island of Kyushu. The Russian Foreign Ministry's statement of protest, issued earlier this month, warned Tokyo that the placement of the U.S. Typhoon missile systems poses a threat to Russia's security, regional peace, and stability, urging their removal.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrei Rudenko, met with the Japanese ambassador, Akira Muto, to emphasize the importance of taking the previous note of protest seriously. Tensions have escalated following Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the Kuril Islands, a Pacific archipelago claimed by both nations. The Soviet Union seized the islands from Japan at the end of World War II, and the unresolved dispute has impeded the countries from signing a peace treaty to formally end their hostilities.
Moscow has dismissed Tokyo's complaints, reaffirming its unyielding claim to the southern Kuril Islands.
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