Russia escalates tension with Japan over disputed Kuril Islands, suggests 'seppuku' for the 'samurai'

The Kuril Islands comprise an archipelago of four islands between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and the northernmost part of Japan, Hokkaido Island. Before World War II, the islands were a part of Japan but were taken control of by Soviet troops in 1945.

A peace treaty between Moscow and Tokyo remains pending following World War II. Thus, Japan continues to stake claim to the Kuril Islands, fueling increased demands from its government. This has only contributed to a souring relationship between the two nations.

Dmitri Medvedev, the former Russian president who is currently serving as the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, shared his input on the issue via a post on Platform X, living up to his unmistakable style.

Medvedev highlighted that he "has no qualms against signing a peace treaty" between Russia and Japan but on specified "conditions."

The Russian constitution will resolve the' territorial issue' definitively, he outlined in his post, adding, "The Kuril Islands will undergo active development, and their strategic importance will be heightened in tandem, with the deployment of new weaponry there."

The third "condition" was a typical barrage of provocatively offensive remarks by Medvedev directed at the "enemy": "We are not concerned with the 'feelings of the Japanese' about the so-called 'northern territories' (as the Japanese refer to the Kurils). These aren't 'contested regions' but exclusively Russian. And those samurais who bear a profound sense of loss can choose to end their lives in the traditional Japanese way by committing seppuku (or suicide). That is, if they dare. Certainly, they would feel far better cozying up to Americans, who have conveniently forgotten about Hiroshima and Nagasaki..."

Source: X