Despite popular belief that WWII finished in 1945, this is technically inaccurate. While hostilities generally ceased at that time, two of the belligerents did not actually sign a peace treaty, and to this day, the peace between Russia and Japan is de facto rather than de jure. Obviously, this has minimal repercussions in the real world, but the reason for this extended state of war is the Kuril islands, a chain of islands over whom a dispute exists. They are currently administered and incorporated into the Russian Federation as part of the Sakhalin Oblast, but Japan claims that they are still Japanese territories. This leads to occasional military muscle flexing in the region by Russia, although the prospect of armed conflict breaking out is almost laughable. Putin has alluded to the fact that Russia recognises that the islands should belong to Japan, but they expect something in return for giving them up. What precisely he expects has not been made clear. There’s an interesting summary of the situation here, and the discussion today may finally bring an end to World War II.
From Echo Moskvy:
Territorial dispute to be discussed today at the Kremlin by the Russian and Japanese leaders
The prime minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe arrived in Moscow for an official visit for the first time since 2003. On the eve of the visit, Abe said that he is expecting talks with Vladimir Putin to begin on a peace treaty [between the two countries].
Comments from Echo Moskvy here and here:
rumbarash:
The phased return of the Japanese islands to Japan is the wisest and most painless way out of this situation!
redfox09: (responding to above)
These counter-revolutionary things spread, mate!
notata11:
Will we surrender the Kurils?
kolesnikvalentin: (responding to above)
If nobody lives there, then the Japanese can take these islands without a war, just like the rest of the Primoskiy Krai, along with the Chinese, of course.
zerro: (responding to above)
The Japanese are cultured, civilised, decent, and want to do things intelligently, as neighbours, in a good way. The Chinese are the ones who invaded half of Siberia without any negotiations.
obersterchfurer:
Putin will give away Russian interests the world over […] What about the territory he gave to China?
[Note: the commenter is referring to an agreement signed in 2008, agreeing to allow China to hold some of the territories they seized in the Sino-Soviet border conflict of 1969, resolving a long-standing border dispute between the two countries.]
kolesnikvalentin:
Well, that’s just him, out of fear, he wasn’t MACHO then.
babich174:
“Territorial dispute to be discussed today at the Kremlin by the Russian and Japanese leaders”, and the leaders of Chechnya and Ingushetia.
bombilin:
They’re just going to barter over presale preparations and the price of Hokkaido island. It’s just business :)
tebia:
What is there to resolve? Japan signed the surrender in WWII and the republic is part of Russia.
