Flashpoints

Japan Wary of Rising Russia Threat: Ex-Defense Minister

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Flashpoints

Japan Wary of Rising Russia Threat: Ex-Defense Minister

Former official notes Tokyo’s concern about growing provocations from Moscow.

Japan Wary of Rising Russia Threat: Ex-Defense Minister

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Beijing.

Credit: Office of the President of Russia

Japan has grown increasingly wary of Russian provocations directed against it, Japan’s ex-defense minister told an audience at a Washington, D.C.-based think tank Wednesday.

Since Japan’s support of sanctions against Russia last year following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea, Itsunori Onodera, who served as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s defense minister until late last year, said Tokyo had noted what he termed a dramatic change in Russian behavior. Russian ships were detected close to Japanese waters with increasing frequency, while Japanese jets had scrambled against Russian aircraft amid a notable rise in flights, exercises, and training near Japan.

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