As we all know, territorial issues between countries are always a very sensitive topic.
There are territorial disputes between many countries in the world. One of the more typical ones is the ownership issue of the Northern Islands (or Southern Kuril Islands , hereafter referred to as the Four Northern Islands) between Russia and Japan.
Russia and Japan have been arguing over the ownership of the four northern islands for more than 200 years. There have been several frictions and the two sides have been very unhappy.
However, for such a long time, it is not without opportunities to solve the problem.
In 1960, the Soviet Union proposed conditions to Japan. If Japan agreed, it could return two of the four northern islands to Japan. However, Japan ultimately failed to accept the conditions proposed by the Soviet Union.
Since then, the issue of the four northern islands has once again become an inevitable conflict between the two countries, which has not been resolved to this day.
So, why did the four northern islands cause the Soviet Union and Japan to fight bloody battles? What conditions did the Soviet Union propose to Japan that were difficult for Japan to accept?
Let’s start with the four northern islands.
What is the attraction of the four northern islands?
On the map, it is not difficult to find that the four northern islands are located at the southernmost tip of the Thousand Islands , so it is also called the Southern Thousand Islands.
The four northern islands are divided into Etortor Island, Setan Island , Kunashir Island and Habamai Islands. Among them, Etortor Island has the largest area, nearly 3,200 square kilometers, and the smallest is Habomai Islands , which is only There are about 100 square kilometers.
Although the total area of the four northern islands is only about 5,000 square kilometers, it has an extremely important strategic position and can be described as a "treasure island."
The four northern islands contain extremely rich natural resources.
There are rich mineral resources underground in the four northern islands. These mineral resources mainly include oil and gas resources, gold, silver, iron, titanium and other rare metal ores.
According to existing survey data, among these mineral resources, oil has the highest reserves, with reserves reaching 1.6 billion tons, followed by iron ore, with reserves reaching an astonishing 273 million tons.
At the same time, the four northern islands also contain nearly 4 million tons of titanium and thousands of tons of gold and silver.
What needs special explanation is that there is an extremely precious rare metal - rhenium - hidden underground in the four northern islands.
Of course, its reserves are also the lowest, only about a few dozen tons, but the rhenium mine here is the only rhenium mine in the world.
The reason why metal rhenium is called "extremely precious" is not only because of its low output, but also because of its very important uses.
Research shows that the chemical properties of metal rhenium are very stable and can maintain its chemical properties and function normally in various extreme environments.
Rhenium metal is mainly used to manufacture various high-temperature components such as combustion chamber and exhaust devices of aerospace engines. In addition, metal rhenium is also used to produce high-purity gasoline, some catalysts, etc. The
aerospace engine, like the lithography machine , occupies an extremely important position in the industry. Mastering their manufacturing technology is tantamount to adding more power to a tiger. However, a key obstacle to the manufacturing of aeroengines is the shortage of rhenium metal.
It can be seen that the importance of metal rhenium is self-evident.
The waters near the four northern islands are rich in seafood.
Near the four northern islands is the largest fishing ground in the world - the Northwest Pacific fishing ground.
According to statistics, the fishery produces various marine fish such as salmon, cod, herring, and is also rich in other seafood such as sea cucumber, whale, king crab.The reason why
is rich in all kinds of seafood is because the four northern islands are at the intersection of the Thousand Island Cold Current and the Japanese Warm Current, forming a tidal peak.
The seawater is disturbed and constantly overflows, bringing a large amount of plankton and various nutrients to the surface. Materials are brought to the sea,
and this provides sufficient food for various fish, so the four northern islands are an excellent fishing place.
The four northern islands also have a very prominent military position.
The existence of the four northern islands allows Russia (or the Soviet Union) to freely enter and exit the Pacific Ocean, which is very beneficial to its trade exchanges and military operations.
Among them, there are many bays around Eltoro Island, which can be used to berth ships; Kunashiri Island also has an ice-free port, which can also be used to berth ships.
According to historical records, during World War II, Japan's aircraft carrier docked at the port of Etoruma Island and set off from here when it attacked Pearl Harbor.
In addition, the four northern islands are very close to Japan's Hokkaido Island, and they also form a horn with Sakhalin . If the four northern islands belong to Russia, all channels for Japan to enter the Sea of Okhotsk will be completely closed. Conduct strategic containment of Japan.
On the other hand, if the four northern islands belong to Japan, Japan's defense line will be greatly expanded and Russia's pincer attack on the Japanese mainland will be shattered. The harbors on the four northern islands will also provide corresponding help to the US military stationed in Japan. Putting Russia under the threat of the US military is very detrimental to Russia.
Russia and Japan, two countries that are extremely obsessed with territorial expansion, have obviously discovered the importance of the four northern islands.
Therefore, based on the above points, the four northern islands will become a battleground between Japan and the Soviet Union (or today's Russia).
What conditions did the Soviet Union put forward to put Japan in a dilemma?
As mentioned earlier, in 1960, the Soviet Union and Japan held talks on the ownership of the four northern islands. During the meeting, the Soviet Union proposed conditions. If Japan accepted, half of them could be returned. However, this put Japan in a dilemma. So what conditions made Japan so embarrassed? ?
This starts with the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.
In early February 1904, the Japanese army suddenly launched an attack on the Russian Empire army, and the Russo-Japanese War broke out.
The Russian Empire thought that by virtue of its " fighting nation " nature, it could defeat Japan, which was far inferior to itself in all aspects of strength. However, the Russian Empire soon paid the price for its arrogance.
After about a year and a half of tug-of-war, the Russian Empire was defeated and signed the " Treaty of Portsmouth" with Japan.
Taking advantage of this, Japan not only took away half of the sovereignty of Sakhalin Island, but also occupied the four northern islands. This aroused strong dissatisfaction among the Russians, who vowed that one day Japan would double its return.
is very fast, nearly half a century has passed. In the blink of an eye, it was 1945, the Second World War was coming to an end, and the Axis Powers group sounded their death knell. In February 1945, the Yalta Conference led by the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union was held. During the meeting, the three countries divided up the forces of the post-war world.
At this time, there are still about 750,000 Kwantung Army entrenched in the northeastern region of China, and only Japan is left in the Axis Group to struggle to its death.
In order to make Japan surrender as soon as possible and end World War II as soon as possible, the United States and Britain acquiesced in allowing the Soviet Union to regain the sovereignty of the four northern islands and Sakhalin.
The Soviet Union has never forgotten the sovereignty of the four northern islands and Sakhalin that were taken away by Japan. In addition, it fought many battles with Japan during World War II and has long hated Japan.
Under the baptism of the Soviet-German war , the Soviet army became unprecedentedly powerful. Facing Japan, where almost all elite troops were wiped out, the Soviet army was unstoppable and launched a final reunion with the Kwantung Army.
This was the last battle of World War II - the Battle of the Far East.
The Soviet army took only about a week to annihilate all the 750,000 Japanese troops entrenched in Northeast China.
After helping China retake Northeast China, the Soviet army struck while the iron was hot and eliminated 80,000 Japanese troops stationed on the four northern islands in just a few days at a very low cost of casualties.
Since then, the sovereignty of the four northern islands and Sakhalin has returned to the hands of the Soviet Union. After 40 years, the Russians finally avenged their shame and vented their bad breath on the Japanese.
With the end of World War II, the struggle for hegemony between the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, also began.
In order to contain the Soviet Union, China, etc., the United States took the opportunity to station a large number of U.S. troops in Japan after World War II.
Although at the Yalta Conference, the United States acquiesced to the Soviet Union's regaining sovereignty over the four northern islands, it saw the Soviet Union's territorial expansion and once approached Japan, which made the United States panic.
Therefore, in order to curb the expansion of Soviet power, the United States' attitude towards the issue of the four northern islands has undergone subtle changes.
It has changed from "allowing the Soviet Union to regain sovereignty over the four northern islands" to "the Soviet Union should reach a formal agreement with Japan. Only then can sovereignty over the four northern islands be transferred.”
In other words, before the signing of the Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration, the United States believed that the sovereignty of the four northern islands should belong to Japan.
But obviously it is impossible for the Soviet Union to pay off the United States and Japan. The four northern islands are already under the control of the Soviet Union. How can it easily transfer sovereignty?
A defeated country has always given up its territorial sovereignty. What's more, the Soviet Union is now a victorious country and has regained the territory it lost before. Is there any reason to discuss it with Japan?
However, the Soviet Union's power in the Far East was not very strong. The Soviet Union decided to delay, and Stalin also left some room for sovereignty over the four northern islands.
But as time goes by, a huge variable appears in Asia - China.
China started the War of Liberation shortly after the end of the Anti-Japanese War. In the end, the Communist Party of China defeated the Kuomintang and established New China on October 1, 1949, automatically becoming a member of the socialist camp .
Prior to this, the Soviet Union believed that Etoru Island and Kunashiri Island among the four northern islands were owned by the Soviet Union, and Shikotan and Habomai could be considered owned by Japan. This was because the Soviet Union wanted to prevent encirclement by the United States and other countries.
But when the Soviet Union saw that the huge China had become a member of its own camp, its attitude suddenly became very tough, and it simply claimed that it would not return even a single island.
In order to express its attitude, the Soviet Union directly divided the four northern islands into Soviet administrative regions in 1950 to declare its territorial sovereignty to Japan.
Prior to this, the Soviet Union also expelled all more than 10,000 Japanese residents on the four northern islands. This was because the Russians had always left no land or people in their territorial expansion, and it was also the Japanese who were doing all kinds of evil. retribution.
The enemy of the enemy is a friend, and Japan had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask the United States for help.
At the beginning, the United States did not want to confront the Soviet Union directly over the four northern islands issue. However, as the Cold War deepened, the United States began to become helpless and put pressure on the Soviet Union, and the Soviet Union had to agree to negotiate with Japan.
Although the Soviet Union agreed to engage in dialogue with Japan, the Soviet Union still maintained its original intention: Etorofu Island and Kunashiri Island remained owned by the Soviet Union, and Habomai Island and Shikotan Island could be considered to be returned to Japan.
This is because Habomai Island and Shikotan Island are relatively close to Japan, are relatively small in area, and do not have much value. In this way, they can be given to Japan as a favor, and can also drive a wedge between the United States and Japan.
Apparently Japan also noticed this. With the support of the United States, Japan declared that all four northern islands must be returned to Japan.
However, the Soviet Union did not pay attention to Japan at all and ignored it. At this time, the attitude of the United States also changed. It is very ambiguous and does not seem to want to help Japan regain its sovereignty over the four northern islands.
This is because a large number of U.S. troops were stationed on Japan's Ryukyu Islands at this time, and it has become an important military base for the United States.
As we all know, territorial issues between countries are always a very sensitive topic.
There are territorial disputes between many countries in the world. One of the more typical ones is the ownership issue of the Northern Islands (or Southern Kuril Islands , hereafter referred to as the Four Northern Islands) between Russia and Japan.
Russia and Japan have been arguing over the ownership of the four northern islands for more than 200 years. There have been several frictions and the two sides have been very unhappy.
However, for such a long time, it is not without opportunities to solve the problem.
In 1960, the Soviet Union proposed conditions to Japan. If Japan agreed, it could return two of the four northern islands to Japan. However, Japan ultimately failed to accept the conditions proposed by the Soviet Union.
Since then, the issue of the four northern islands has once again become an inevitable conflict between the two countries, which has not been resolved to this day.
So, why did the four northern islands cause the Soviet Union and Japan to fight bloody battles? What conditions did the Soviet Union propose to Japan that were difficult for Japan to accept?
Let’s start with the four northern islands.
What is the attraction of the four northern islands?
On the map, it is not difficult to find that the four northern islands are located at the southernmost tip of the Thousand Islands , so it is also called the Southern Thousand Islands.
The four northern islands are divided into Etortor Island, Setan Island , Kunashir Island and Habamai Islands. Among them, Etortor Island has the largest area, nearly 3,200 square kilometers, and the smallest is Habomai Islands , which is only There are about 100 square kilometers.
Although the total area of the four northern islands is only about 5,000 square kilometers, it has an extremely important strategic position and can be described as a "treasure island."
The four northern islands contain extremely rich natural resources.
There are rich mineral resources underground in the four northern islands. These mineral resources mainly include oil and gas resources, gold, silver, iron, titanium and other rare metal ores.
According to existing survey data, among these mineral resources, oil has the highest reserves, with reserves reaching 1.6 billion tons, followed by iron ore, with reserves reaching an astonishing 273 million tons.
At the same time, the four northern islands also contain nearly 4 million tons of titanium and thousands of tons of gold and silver.
What needs special explanation is that there is an extremely precious rare metal - rhenium - hidden underground in the four northern islands.
Of course, its reserves are also the lowest, only about a few dozen tons, but the rhenium mine here is the only rhenium mine in the world.
The reason why metal rhenium is called "extremely precious" is not only because of its low output, but also because of its very important uses.
Research shows that the chemical properties of metal rhenium are very stable and can maintain its chemical properties and function normally in various extreme environments.
Rhenium metal is mainly used to manufacture various high-temperature components such as combustion chamber and exhaust devices of aerospace engines. In addition, metal rhenium is also used to produce high-purity gasoline, some catalysts, etc. The
aerospace engine, like the lithography machine , occupies an extremely important position in the industry. Mastering their manufacturing technology is tantamount to adding more power to a tiger. However, a key obstacle to the manufacturing of aeroengines is the shortage of rhenium metal.
It can be seen that the importance of metal rhenium is self-evident.
The waters near the four northern islands are rich in seafood.
Near the four northern islands is the largest fishing ground in the world - the Northwest Pacific fishing ground.
According to statistics, the fishery produces various marine fish such as salmon, cod, herring, and is also rich in other seafood such as sea cucumber, whale, king crab.The reason why
is rich in all kinds of seafood is because the four northern islands are at the intersection of the Thousand Island Cold Current and the Japanese Warm Current, forming a tidal peak.
The seawater is disturbed and constantly overflows, bringing a large amount of plankton and various nutrients to the surface. Materials are brought to the sea,
and this provides sufficient food for various fish, so the four northern islands are an excellent fishing place.
The four northern islands also have a very prominent military position.
The existence of the four northern islands allows Russia (or the Soviet Union) to freely enter and exit the Pacific Ocean, which is very beneficial to its trade exchanges and military operations.
Among them, there are many bays around Eltoro Island, which can be used to berth ships; Kunashiri Island also has an ice-free port, which can also be used to berth ships.
According to historical records, during World War II, Japan's aircraft carrier docked at the port of Etoruma Island and set off from here when it attacked Pearl Harbor.
In addition, the four northern islands are very close to Japan's Hokkaido Island, and they also form a horn with Sakhalin . If the four northern islands belong to Russia, all channels for Japan to enter the Sea of Okhotsk will be completely closed. Conduct strategic containment of Japan.
On the other hand, if the four northern islands belong to Japan, Japan's defense line will be greatly expanded and Russia's pincer attack on the Japanese mainland will be shattered. The harbors on the four northern islands will also provide corresponding help to the US military stationed in Japan. Putting Russia under the threat of the US military is very detrimental to Russia.
Russia and Japan, two countries that are extremely obsessed with territorial expansion, have obviously discovered the importance of the four northern islands.
Therefore, based on the above points, the four northern islands will become a battleground between Japan and the Soviet Union (or today's Russia).
What conditions did the Soviet Union put forward to put Japan in a dilemma?
As mentioned earlier, in 1960, the Soviet Union and Japan held talks on the ownership of the four northern islands. During the meeting, the Soviet Union proposed conditions. If Japan accepted, half of them could be returned. However, this put Japan in a dilemma. So what conditions made Japan so embarrassed? ?
This starts with the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.
In early February 1904, the Japanese army suddenly launched an attack on the Russian Empire army, and the Russo-Japanese War broke out.
The Russian Empire thought that by virtue of its " fighting nation " nature, it could defeat Japan, which was far inferior to itself in all aspects of strength. However, the Russian Empire soon paid the price for its arrogance.
After about a year and a half of tug-of-war, the Russian Empire was defeated and signed the " Treaty of Portsmouth" with Japan.
Taking advantage of this, Japan not only took away half of the sovereignty of Sakhalin Island, but also occupied the four northern islands. This aroused strong dissatisfaction among the Russians, who vowed that one day Japan would double its return.
is very fast, nearly half a century has passed. In the blink of an eye, it was 1945, the Second World War was coming to an end, and the Axis Powers group sounded their death knell. In February 1945, the Yalta Conference led by the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union was held. During the meeting, the three countries divided up the forces of the post-war world.
At this time, there are still about 750,000 Kwantung Army entrenched in the northeastern region of China, and only Japan is left in the Axis Group to struggle to its death.
In order to make Japan surrender as soon as possible and end World War II as soon as possible, the United States and Britain acquiesced in allowing the Soviet Union to regain the sovereignty of the four northern islands and Sakhalin.
The Soviet Union has never forgotten the sovereignty of the four northern islands and Sakhalin that were taken away by Japan. In addition, it fought many battles with Japan during World War II and has long hated Japan.
Under the baptism of the Soviet-German war , the Soviet army became unprecedentedly powerful. Facing Japan, where almost all elite troops were wiped out, the Soviet army was unstoppable and launched a final reunion with the Kwantung Army.
This was the last battle of World War II - the Battle of the Far East.
The Soviet army took only about a week to annihilate all the 750,000 Japanese troops entrenched in Northeast China.
After helping China retake Northeast China, the Soviet army struck while the iron was hot and eliminated 80,000 Japanese troops stationed on the four northern islands in just a few days at a very low cost of casualties.
Since then, the sovereignty of the four northern islands and Sakhalin has returned to the hands of the Soviet Union. After 40 years, the Russians finally avenged their shame and vented their bad breath on the Japanese.
With the end of World War II, the struggle for hegemony between the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, also began.
In order to contain the Soviet Union, China, etc., the United States took the opportunity to station a large number of U.S. troops in Japan after World War II.
Although at the Yalta Conference, the United States acquiesced to the Soviet Union's regaining sovereignty over the four northern islands, it saw the Soviet Union's territorial expansion and once approached Japan, which made the United States panic.
Therefore, in order to curb the expansion of Soviet power, the United States' attitude towards the issue of the four northern islands has undergone subtle changes.
It has changed from "allowing the Soviet Union to regain sovereignty over the four northern islands" to "the Soviet Union should reach a formal agreement with Japan. Only then can sovereignty over the four northern islands be transferred.”
In other words, before the signing of the Japan-Soviet Joint Declaration, the United States believed that the sovereignty of the four northern islands should belong to Japan.
But obviously it is impossible for the Soviet Union to pay off the United States and Japan. The four northern islands are already under the control of the Soviet Union. How can it easily transfer sovereignty?
A defeated country has always given up its territorial sovereignty. What's more, the Soviet Union is now a victorious country and has regained the territory it lost before. Is there any reason to discuss it with Japan?
However, the Soviet Union's power in the Far East was not very strong. The Soviet Union decided to delay, and Stalin also left some room for sovereignty over the four northern islands.
But as time goes by, a huge variable appears in Asia - China.
China started the War of Liberation shortly after the end of the Anti-Japanese War. In the end, the Communist Party of China defeated the Kuomintang and established New China on October 1, 1949, automatically becoming a member of the socialist camp .
Prior to this, the Soviet Union believed that Etoru Island and Kunashiri Island among the four northern islands were owned by the Soviet Union, and Shikotan and Habomai could be considered owned by Japan. This was because the Soviet Union wanted to prevent encirclement by the United States and other countries.
But when the Soviet Union saw that the huge China had become a member of its own camp, its attitude suddenly became very tough, and it simply claimed that it would not return even a single island.
In order to express its attitude, the Soviet Union directly divided the four northern islands into Soviet administrative regions in 1950 to declare its territorial sovereignty to Japan.
Prior to this, the Soviet Union also expelled all more than 10,000 Japanese residents on the four northern islands. This was because the Russians had always left no land or people in their territorial expansion, and it was also the Japanese who were doing all kinds of evil. retribution.
The enemy of the enemy is a friend, and Japan had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask the United States for help.
At the beginning, the United States did not want to confront the Soviet Union directly over the four northern islands issue. However, as the Cold War deepened, the United States began to become helpless and put pressure on the Soviet Union, and the Soviet Union had to agree to negotiate with Japan.
Although the Soviet Union agreed to engage in dialogue with Japan, the Soviet Union still maintained its original intention: Etorofu Island and Kunashiri Island remained owned by the Soviet Union, and Habomai Island and Shikotan Island could be considered to be returned to Japan.
This is because Habomai Island and Shikotan Island are relatively close to Japan, are relatively small in area, and do not have much value. In this way, they can be given to Japan as a favor, and can also drive a wedge between the United States and Japan.
Apparently Japan also noticed this. With the support of the United States, Japan declared that all four northern islands must be returned to Japan.
However, the Soviet Union did not pay attention to Japan at all and ignored it. At this time, the attitude of the United States also changed. It is very ambiguous and does not seem to want to help Japan regain its sovereignty over the four northern islands.
This is because a large number of U.S. troops were stationed on Japan's Ryukyu Islands at this time, and it has become an important military base for the United States.
The United States is very worried that once the four northern islands are returned to Japan, Japan is likely to bite back and demand that it returns the Ryukyu Islands to Japan.
has lost the support of the United States, which is tantamount to drawing money from the bottom of the cauldron for Japan, and the issue of the four northern islands has also been temporarily shelved.
Although the United States refused to help Japan on the issue of the four northern islands, it still planned to use Japan as a springboard to contain socialist countries such as the Soviet Union and China. Therefore, the United States signed a 10-year "New Japan-U.S. Security Treaty" with Japan in 1960. .
The "New Japan-U.S. Security Treaty" requires Japan to provide military bases to the United States and allow the United States to station troops in Japan. The United States provides Japan with nuclear protection .
This was obviously seriously inconsistent with the Soviet Union's interests in the Far East. Therefore, the Soviet Union took the opportunity to propose to Japan that as long as all foreign garrison troops withdraw from Japan, the Soviet Union can consider returning Habomai Island and Shikotan Island.
The Soviet Union seemed to have extended an olive branch to Japan, but this put Japan in an embarrassing situation:
On the one hand, Japan demanded that the Soviet Union must return all the four northern islands, but the Soviet Union still maintained its original intention;
On the other hand, At this time, Japan has completely become a vassal of the United States. It is obviously a fantasy for Japan to drive away the US troops stationed in Japan.
What the Soviet Union wanted was this effect. In today's terms, it is "I predicted your prediction." It can be said to be very harmful and extremely insulting.
No matter what Japan does, it will be at a disadvantage, that is, it cannot return all the four northern islands, nor can it drive away the US troops stationed in Japan.
From then on, until the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, Japan had been at a disadvantage on the issue of the four northern islands and had not wanted to take back an inch of territory from the Soviet Union.
The territorial issue of the four northern islands after the Cold War
Although Japan was always at a disadvantage on the issue of the four northern islands until the disintegration of the Soviet Union, and was unable to regain an inch of territory from the Soviet Union, Japan, which was unwilling to give up, still resented it.
After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, most of the Soviet Union's legacy was inherited by Russia. Therefore, Japan tried every means to communicate with Russia on the issue of the four northern islands.
(The last General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union—Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev)
In October 1993, then Russian President Yeltsin visited Japan, and the two countries issued " Tokyo Declaration ".
The "Tokyo Declaration" gave a detailed description and explanation of the issue of the four northern islands. It also stated that the two countries must conduct serious negotiations on the ownership of the four northern islands. This seems to have brought a new turn to the issue of the four northern islands.
4 years later, in November 1997, Yeltsin and the then Japanese Prime Minister Hashimoto Ryutaro reached the "Yeltsin-Hashimoto Plan",
the two sides reached a consensus on solving the issue of the four northern islands on the basis of the "Tokyo Declaration" , and planned to sign a peace treaty before the new century.
Why did Russia, which refused to give up an inch of land, make compromises and concessions to Japan on the issue of the four northern islands?
This is because after Yeltsin came to power, he adopted "shock therapy". As a result, the Russian economy not only failed to grow, but also declined significantly, and it was in urgent need of economic support.
At this time, with the support of the United States, Japan's economy was growing rapidly and it became a major economic power in the world. After a series of communication and negotiation, the issue of ownership of the four northern islands also ushered in a turn for the better.
However, at this time, there was a fire in Russia's backyard.
In Russia, many Russians are talking about the in-depth talks between Russia and Japan on the issue of the four northern islands.
Some people think that Russia already has enough territory and should not occupy territory that does not belong to it and should return it to Japan;
Some people believe that the four northern islands have historically been Russia's inherent territory and cannot be sold out just because of a temporary economic recession.
However, the number of people supporting the latter far outnumbers the former.
For a time, Yeltsin's approval rating began to decline. Many Russians believed that Yeltsin was a traitor and a criminal who betrayed the country's territory. For the sake of his own political future, Yeltsin cut his losses in time and had to shelve the matter again.
In 2000, with the sudden resignation of Yeltsin, a new star rose in the Russian political arena-Vladimir Putin.
The Russia that Putin took over can be said to be in internal and external troubles. The impact of domestic "shock therapy" has not been eliminated. Foreign NATO continues to expand eastward, further compressing Russia's strategic space.
In order to reduce opposition and maintain balance, Putin declared at the beginning of his taking office that he would continue to follow the policy of the Yeltsin era on the issue of the four northern islands, and continued negotiations with Japan in 2000 and 2001 respectively.
During this period, Russia has always emphasized that in 1956 The territorial disputes were resolved on the basis of the Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration signed in 2006.
However, in October 2004, Russia stated that it would return Habomai Island and Shikotan Island to Japan, but not the four northern islands that Japan requested to return. This behavior completely angered Japan, and Russia did not tolerate Japan.
In 2005, Putin publicly declared in a televised speech that the four northern islands were Russia's inherent territory and there was no room for negotiation.
Putin did not just verbally declare his sovereignty over the four northern islands to Japan. At the same time, he also ordered to strengthen the defense of the four northern islands. He dispatched a large number of troops to the four northern islands and equipped them with many advanced weapons, including Tu-22M3 Backfire bomber, T-72B3 main battle tank and other advanced weapons.
The reason why Russia is vigorously carrying out military construction on the four northern islands is because the relationship between the United States and Russia has continued to deteriorate in recent years.
Moreover, the relationship between the United States and Japan was once very close. In addition, the four northern islands have an important strategic position, so Russia cannot allow it. The four northern islands fell into Japanese hands and became a springboard for the United States and Japan to encircle themselves.
As of today in 2022, Russia and Japan have still not reached a consensus on the ownership of the four northern islands. This is also an important obstacle in Russia-Japan relations.
The still unresolved issue of the four northern islands has become a shadow that many Japanese people will never get rid of. However, this is the inevitable outcome of Japan’s war of aggression waged everywhere for hundreds of years.
References:
- Wu Di, Che Weihan. Game analysis of territorial disputes over the "Four Northern Islands" between Russia and Japan [J]. Northeast Asia Forum, 2013, 22(02): 16-25+129.
- Wang Ning, Lu Ping. The evolution of the United States’ position on the Japan-Russia island dispute [J]. Siberian Studies, 2021, 48(06): 70-79.
- Shao Jingkai. The emergence and development of Japan’s concept of “inherent territory”—also on the Diaoyu Islands It is not Japan’s “inherent territory” [J]. Boundary and Ocean Research, 2021, 6(04): 53-72.
- Chen Mengli, Zhang Qiang. The debate, causes and impact of the “Four Northern Islands” issue in Japan [J] .Russian Studies, 2017(05):137-156.
- Pan Sicheng. The dispute between Japan and Russia for the four northern islands[J]. Military Digest, 2021(07):63-66.
- Yu Zhiqun. Research on Russian-Japanese territorial issues[J]. D].Heilongjiang University, 2019.
For a time, Yeltsin's approval rating began to decline. Many Russians believed that Yeltsin was a traitor and a criminal who betrayed the country's territory. For the sake of his own political future, Yeltsin cut his losses in time and had to shelve the matter again.
In 2000, with the sudden resignation of Yeltsin, a new star rose in the Russian political arena-Vladimir Putin.
The Russia that Putin took over can be said to be in internal and external troubles. The impact of domestic "shock therapy" has not been eliminated. Foreign NATO continues to expand eastward, further compressing Russia's strategic space.
In order to reduce opposition and maintain balance, Putin declared at the beginning of his taking office that he would continue to follow the policy of the Yeltsin era on the issue of the four northern islands, and continued negotiations with Japan in 2000 and 2001 respectively.
During this period, Russia has always emphasized that in 1956 The territorial disputes were resolved on the basis of the Soviet-Japanese Joint Declaration signed in 2006.
However, in October 2004, Russia stated that it would return Habomai Island and Shikotan Island to Japan, but not the four northern islands that Japan requested to return. This behavior completely angered Japan, and Russia did not tolerate Japan.
In 2005, Putin publicly declared in a televised speech that the four northern islands were Russia's inherent territory and there was no room for negotiation.
Putin did not just verbally declare his sovereignty over the four northern islands to Japan. At the same time, he also ordered to strengthen the defense of the four northern islands. He dispatched a large number of troops to the four northern islands and equipped them with many advanced weapons, including Tu-22M3 Backfire bomber, T-72B3 main battle tank and other advanced weapons.
The reason why Russia is vigorously carrying out military construction on the four northern islands is because the relationship between the United States and Russia has continued to deteriorate in recent years.
Moreover, the relationship between the United States and Japan was once very close. In addition, the four northern islands have an important strategic position, so Russia cannot allow it. The four northern islands fell into Japanese hands and became a springboard for the United States and Japan to encircle themselves.
As of today in 2022, Russia and Japan have still not reached a consensus on the ownership of the four northern islands. This is also an important obstacle in Russia-Japan relations.
The still unresolved issue of the four northern islands has become a shadow that many Japanese people will never get rid of. However, this is the inevitable outcome of Japan’s war of aggression waged everywhere for hundreds of years.
References:
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- Wang Ning, Lu Ping. The evolution of the United States’ position on the Japan-Russia island dispute [J]. Siberian Studies, 2021, 48(06): 70-79.
- Shao Jingkai. The emergence and development of Japan’s concept of “inherent territory”—also on the Diaoyu Islands It is not Japan’s “inherent territory” [J]. Boundary and Ocean Research, 2021, 6(04): 53-72.
- Chen Mengli, Zhang Qiang. The debate, causes and impact of the “Four Northern Islands” issue in Japan [J] .Russian Studies, 2017(05):137-156.
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