Disappointment to Russia

Russia took a retaliatory action against Japan. Russian Army on Tuesday began a major military drill with over one thousand troops on Northern Island, on which Japan had been disputing for its sovereignty. It is nothing but a countermeasure against Japan’s further economic sanction to Russia over its invasion and intervention to Ukraine. The fact that Japan once took a soft position to Russia, rather than Europe and United States, means diplomatic failure of Tokyo lacking ability to predict the situation we are seeing now.

After Russia unilaterally declared annexation of Crimea, Japan laid an economic sanction against Russia in April. But it was lighter than the measures by European countries and U.S. exerecised. Concerning the annexation had a similar aspect with Russia’s occupation of Northern Island right after the World War II, Japan needed to take as hard measures as the Western nations. Consequently, it sent a wrong message to Moscow that Japan would take a certain distance from the West.

Japan actually had no choice except following U.S. When a passenger aircraft was shot down in eastern Ukraine, on where Russia had a great influence, Japan reluctantly raised its level of sanction in line with European Union and U.S. Russia cancelled minister level dialogue for the official visit of President Vladimir Putin this fall. Military drill of Russian Army in Northern Territory was the next measure to protest Japan.

Last drill in Northern Territory was in 2010, when Russian President was a figure not familiar to bilateral issue with Japan, Dmitry Medvedev. When Putin took power after Medvedev, Tokyo welcomed that supposedly pro-Japan President. But, the situation of bilateral relationship between Japan and Russia now got at least back as worse as in Medvedev’s era.

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, expressed his opposition, saying “It cannot be totally acceptable.” Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a message on the same line with Abe’s through diplomatic channel. It is undeniable that Putin’s visit to Japan will be cancelled. For Abe who wanted to take advantage that diplomatic event of his political tool for regaining popularity, it must be nothing but a disappointment.

However, it was Abe who reduced Japan’s diplomatic options. By Abe’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine and taking negative position in comfort women issue, Japan was forced to a position in which it could never increase diplomatic enemies around anymore. That made Japan’s standpoint to Russia weak than ever. In other words, U.S. destroyed Japan’s appeasement to Russia through Ukraine problem. It should be recognized that Abe’s unilateral diplomacy invited this result.