Russia said Monday it would halt negotiations with Japan regarding a post-World War II peace treaty in response to Tokyo's escalating sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine - the latest sign of deteriorating bilateral relations.
In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said the country has no intention of continuing peace talks, which had been stalled since 2020. It blamed Japan for its "anti-Russian policy" and said it would terminate visa-free trips by Japanese citizens to a chain of islands between Japan and Russia, and withdraw from joint economic projects on the islands.