Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova warned that Moscow could take countermeasures to protect its national security if US Typhon missile systems are deployed in Japan.
Speaking at a briefing on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, Zakharova described the deployment on Japanese territory of Typhon systems used to launch intermediate- and short-range missiles as a threat to Russia’s security and said the step was unacceptable.
Diplomatic objection to the Orient Shield exercise
Zakharova said Russia had conveyed a diplomatic objection to Japan’s Embassy in Moscow on August 31. She said the objection concerned the joint Orient Shield exercise planned to be held by Japan, the United States and Australia from September 8 to 24.
Zakharova said the exercise would take place in areas near Russia’s borders and on Hokkaido Island, adding that Moscow considers the military activities in the region provocative and unacceptable.
The Kuril Islands and the Baltic Sea
The Russian diplomat argued that Russia’s sovereignty over the Kuril Islands was not open to debate. She said the islands had lawfully passed to Russia after World War II on the basis of agreements among the Allied powers and the United Nations Charter.
Zakharova also said that if military and political tensions in the Baltic Sea escalate further, Russia’s response to the “initiators of anti-Russian initiatives” would be resolute and severe.