Shinzō Abe on Russia

Shinzō Abe's core position on Russia was defined by a highly personal and pragmatic diplomatic drive to resolve the long-standing territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands (Northern Territories) and conclude a formal peace treaty after World War II. He believed that achieving a breakthrough with Moscow was geopolitically necessary to allow Japan to shift its security focus southwards toward a rising China. Evidence of this dedication included meeting the Russian president twenty-seven times during his tenure and offering an eight-point economic cooperation plan to incentivize Russian concessions.

This stance, often described as a "new approach," represented an evolution from Japan's traditionally firmer position, as Abe signaled a willingness to compromise, potentially accepting the return of only two islands based on the 1956 Declaration. However, this pursuit of economic incentives and personal diplomacy ultimately failed to secure territorial concessions, as Russia leveraged Japan's desire for a treaty to extract economic benefits without reciprocating on the island issue. The momentum for rapprochement effectively ceased following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, leading the subsequent Japanese administration to adopt sanctions and condemn Russia's actions.