The Voice News: Vladimir Putin has praised former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his unwavering efforts to achieve a formal peace treaty between Japan and Russia, calling him a “sincere leader” who genuinely sought to resolve the decades-long territorial dispute between the two countries.
Speaking during a meeting with Akie Abe, the widow of the late prime minister, Putin emphasized that Abe had been committed to improving bilateral relations and had wanted to meet Putin again—even amid the deteriorating geopolitical climate—before his assassination in 2022.
“Shinzo Abe truly wanted to resolve the peace treaty issue between our countries,” Putin said. “He was sincere in his intention, but global conditions and his untimely death cut his efforts short.”
Despite meeting 27 times during Abe’s nearly nine-year tenure, the two leaders failed to conclude a peace deal due to an unresolved territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands (referred to as the Northern Territories in Japan), which were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.
Putin noted that current conditions—particularly Japan’s alignment with the West and its sanctions against Moscow over the war in Ukraine—make the prospects of a peace treaty increasingly unlikely.
Adding to the complications is Russia’s concern over Japan’s close military alliance with the United States. In past statements, Putin has indicated that Tokyo’s security ties with Washington pose a significant obstacle to any long-term agreement.
Abe had advocated for joint economic activities on the disputed islands as a confidence-building measure, a move that Moscow and Tokyo briefly explored without resolution.
Though the peace treaty remains elusive, Putin’s latest comments reflect a continued acknowledgment of Abe’s diplomatic legacy and suggest that the door to future negotiations may remain open—if geopolitical tensions ease.