Halfway toward Russia

The Government of Japan stepped up its sanction against Russia on Tuesday. Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fumio Kishida, announced that the government halted issuing visa to twenty-three anonymous Russians, mainly the government officials, claiming that Russia had been invading sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine. Although Ukrainian crisis does not affect Japan’s national interest so greatly, this is a problem in which standpoint of Japan is questioned. Japan has no choice except taking the side of freedom.

After Russia seized Crimea Peninsula, the Japanese government took an action to stop discussion with Russia for simplifying visa issuance to travelers. This time, Japan raised its warning to the level of rejecting Russian officials. “We express serious concern on being no progress in current situation, in spite of Geneva Agreement on April 17th,” Kishida told in the statement on Tuesday.

On Monday, the United States released further sanction toward Russia, which banned visa for the people close to Russian President, Vladimir Putin. They included Speakers of Federal Council and Federal Assembly, president of national petroleum company and former pro-Russian President of Ukraine. Since the Speaker of Federal Assembly, Sergey Naryshkin, has been a key person in the negotiation for Northern Territory of Japan, the Japanese government is worried about the impact U.S. sanction will have in bilateral Japan-Russia relationship.

It is inevitable for Japan to suffer from deterioration of relationship with Russia. The problem was made by Russian government that forcefully took Ukraine territory under its control. The political leaders in Japan cannot understand how few choices they have. It is a choice between supporting freedom based on the people’s self-determination and protecting national interest with illegal exercise of force or threat. Having peaceful constitution, Japan has no choice but standing for non-military side.

The administration led by Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, tries to reason its response to Ukraine crisis by contemplating it as unilateral change of status quo by force, because the concept has been used in criticizing China in its assertion around Senkaku Islands. However, it is unlikely that China will restrain its activity there with Japan’s denouncement on Russia.

Japan’s attitude toward Russia is still halfway. Once it showed appeasement, Russia may be reaching Japan with some diplomatic card on the Northern Territory. But Japanese leaders need to realize that the offer never includes returning Northern islands to Japan.