Russia’s tensions with Japan ramp up as Putin’s ‘propagandists ready for war’

Vladimir Putin is Russia’s President (Image: GETTY) A Ukrainian aide warned Russian propagandists may have selected Japan as a new target, just days after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev hit out at Tokyo’s “militarisation”. Anton Yuriyovych Gerashchenko, an official advisor at the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, shared on Twitter a clip from a debate broadcast by Russia -1, a state-owned Russian television channel. The minute-long video presents a tirade by a commentator focused on Japan and the islands contended by Tokyo and Moscow. The Russian commentator claimed: “How can Japan threaten us? You know, there were some very interesting scenarios introduced at the time when in 2011 Japan declared the South Kuril Islands occupied by Russia . “Imagine if they landed not an army, but crowds of Japanese civilians. Women, children, and old people as colonists. Such a big provocation. And decided at that moment to restore Japanese sovereignty over the islands. Would we kill them in front of the whole world?” Dmitry Medvedev is the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council (Image: GETTY) Russia and Japan have been debating for decades over the sovereignty of a few small islands that the Soviet Union had seized at the end of World War II . While Russia calls them the South Kuril Islands, Japan claims them as the Northern Territories. Russia is known to have stored on two of the disputed islands off Japan multiple air defence missile systems – which an expert recently said Moscow may have moved west to deploy in Ukraine . Seemingly referring to the conflict in Ukraine and the counter-offensive launched by Kyiv, the Russian commentator continued: “And the Japanese observe our mild reaction to the shelling of our settlements and think: Yeah, either they will react harshly, or they will start some kind of negotiations. “Given that Japan itself is covered by the US-Japan Security Treaty, so the fact that we might face a strong-armed Japan that would first say, ‘It’s not against you, it’s against North Korea, against that threat’. That’s what, I’m afraid, we will face in the Far East.” Olga Skabeyeva, who has been dubbed “Iron Doll of Putin TV” due to her strong criticism of the Russian opposition, asked her guest: “Don’t you find that scenario rather fantastical?” To which he replied: “A military conflict just between Russia and Ukraine in 2023 didn’t seem fantastical to us.” Mr Gerashchenko commented on this clip saying: “Attention, Japan! Russian propagandists are getting ready for war with Japan. “Even Skabeyeva thinks this is crazy. To this, she gets a “we never thought this would be possible with Ukraine ” in reply.” Earlier this month, Mr Medvedev, the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, branded “regrettable” Japan’s decision to shift away from pacifism and increase its military spending – a move made by Tokyo amid growing tensions between the US and China over Taiwan. He added: “Troop exercises are taking place near the Kuril Islands, which seriously complicates the situation in the Asia-Pacific region.” Russia recently sparked Japan’s anger by deciding to declare September 3 – the day after the anniversary of Tokyo’s surrender in World War II – the “Day of Victory over Militaristic Japan”.