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Russia ignores Japan over statue unveiling in Khabarovsk
The 15-metre monument, unveiled last week, went ahead despite Tokyo seeking an amendment through diplomatic channels and Russia dismissing the complaint as “extremely regrettable” to Japan.
Russia has dismissed Japan’s complaint over the unveiling of a Soviet-era soldier statue in Khabarovsk, where the monument depicts a Soviet soldier smashing an imperial-era border marker bearing the Japanese emperor’s emblem.
The statue is a 15-metre granite monument to the Soviet Union’s victory over Japan in 1945, and its imagery echoes former boundary markers installed along the 50th parallel on Sakhalin Island, reflecting the historical split between Japanese-controlled territory and Russian-held areas.
Tokyo had requested changes through diplomatic channels before the unveiling, according to SCMP Economy, but Russia proceeded anyway and Japanese officials described the statue as “extremely regrettable”.
SCMP Economy reports that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would ignore Tokyo’s protests during a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, with analysts expecting bilateral relations to remain chilly.