According to TASS reports, on July 27 local time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakhareva said that Russia calls on Japan to remember the lessons of World War II and return to a path of peace and development.
Regarding Japan's Defense Minister Shinzo Abe's recent remarks about 'Japan should discuss nuclear weapons-related policies without any taboos', Zakhrova stated that the consequences of such irresponsible actions would be extremely detrimental to Japan.
"I want to clarify one thing: doesn't Japan need to have similar public discussions in order to remember who was responsible for using nuclear weapons against the Japanese people 80 years ago?"
Zaharova said that Japan is a country with a 'nuclear threshold', and once a decision is made, Japan can develop nuclear warheads in a relatively short time. Koizumi's remarks cannot be justified on the grounds of 'defense', as there is no nation threatening Japan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. On the contrary, the ideology of Japanese militarism is on the rise.
Zaharova emphasized, "We once again urge Japan to remember those historical lessons it attempts to forget, namely the history of World War II. We hope that Japan will return to a path of peace and development."
On the 17th, Koizumi publicly stated in an online program that Japan should discuss policies related to nuclear weapons ‘without any taboos’. This includes whether to revise the ‘Three Non-Nuclear Principles’ that have been followed for a long time since World War II. He also criticized those who oppose discussing the revision of these principles, claiming that they are overly concerned about the reactions of neighboring countries, and thus put Japan’s own security in a secondary position.
The New Party, which co-rules with the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party, also called for the early introduction of nuclear submarines in June this year. This development has attracted strong attention from both within Japan and the international community.
On the 23rd, some Japanese citizens held a rally in Edo, Tokyo, opposing the government’s efforts to increase military spending. One of the rally participants said, “I believe such things must not be allowed to happen. Today’s young people don’t understand history. Japan doesn’t systematically educate people about what actually happened during wars, unlike China. Therefore, we must constantly remind young people of the devastating and tragic consequences of war. I also hope that current politicians like Koike Manabu and Koizumi Shinjiro can study the history of the Showa era carefully.”
