Russia says no to World War 2 peace treaty talks with Japan over Ukraine stance

An official peace treaty terminating the World War II was never signed by two countries because of their dispute over the Russian - held islands north of Hokkaido, which Moscow took at the end of the war.

Russia on Tuesday halted the World War II peace treaty talks with Japan due to Tokyo's vigorous response to Moscow's military action in Ukraine, multiple reports have said. Moscow has also withdrawn from joint economic projects linked to the disputed Kuril Island under Kremlin control, because of the sanctions imposed by Tokyo over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin's response comes after Japan - along with Group of Seven partners - pressured Moscow over its action in Ukraine with a series of sanctions on Russian financial institutions and chip exports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. (AFP)

An official peace treaty terminating the World War II was never signed by two countries because of their dispute over the Russian - held islands north of Hokkaido, which Moscow took at the end of the war. "The current situation stems from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told parliament Tuesday, adding that halting the talks was “unjust and absolutely unacceptable.” as reported by Bloomberg.

Moscow has announced the cancellation of visa-free travel for Japanese citizens to the four disputed Pacific islands which are known as the Southern Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan, Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying in a statement on Monday.

Due to Russia's assault on Ukraine, Russia has become the most sanctioned country across the globe. ,The countries and regions targeting Russia with sanctions are Switzerland, the European Union, Canada, Australia, the US, the UK, and Japan.