Which countries are still at war?

According to CCTV's "Asia Today" news, Russia will name five unnamed islands in the Kuril Islands on February 12. Among them, an island in the South Island Kuril Islands will be named "Kuz" Majevyanko", and General Kuz Majevyanko was one of the representatives who signed the Japanese surrender on behalf of the Soviet Union.

Prior to this, Japan has always emphasized that the Southern Kuril Islands are Japan’s inherent territory. Russia’s move undoubtedly poured a lot of cold water on Abe, who is currently in a good mood due to his fiery relationship with Trump.

As for where the dispute between Japan and Russia over the Southern Kuril Islands comes from, we have to go back to the 18th century. At that time, Japan and Russia, which were in the period of territorial expansion, successively immigrated and developed the Kuril Islands and established corresponding administrative agencies. institutions, and forced the local Ezo people to join their respective nationalities.

Since the two developed this "ownerless" land almost at the same time, in order to avoid unnecessary war, Japan and Russia signed the "Japan-Russia Peace Treaty" in 1855.

The Kuril Islands are divided into the North and South Kuril Islands using the strait between Iturup Island and Urup Island. The South Kuril Islands belong to Japan. Japan currently emphasizes that the South Kuril Islands are its own inherent territory. This is the legal basis.

In 1875, Japan and Russia also reached the "Sakhalin Kuril Islands Exchange Treaty". On the condition that Japan withdraws its power from Sakhalin Island and recognizes Sakhalin Island as belonging to Russia, in exchange for the control of the entire Kuril Islands sovereignty.

In 1904, Japan and Russia fought a Russo-Japanese War around Northeast China. Japan completely defeated Russia, and Russia was forced to sign the "Portsmouth Peace Treaty" and cede the southern part of Sakhalin Island to Japan.

At the end of World War II, in order to get the Soviet Union to abandon the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact and send troops to Northeast China as soon as possible, the United States and Britain promised in the Yalta Agreement that the Soviet Union would not only regain the lost South Sakhalin Island, but also The entire Kuril Islands were obtained as compensation.

This is why Stalin responded forcefully when faced with Japan’s objections to the Southern Kuril Islands: “They are trophies bought with the blood of countless Soviet soldiers, and no one has the right to take them away.” The origin of.

In 1952, the United States led the San Francisco Peace Treaty with Japan, planning to normalize Japan as a subsidiary to support itself on the international stage. Taking into account the attitude of the Soviet Union, the treaty emphasized Japan's abandonment of the Kuril Islands. sovereignty.

However, at that time, the Soviet Union considered that recognizing this treaty would mean that Japan would be completely included in the embrace of the United States and become a weapon for the United States to contain itself in the Far East. It opposed this treaty from the beginning and ultimately did not sign it. If The Soviet Union signed it back then, and now there is no dispute over the Southern Kuril Islands between Japan and Russia.

Later the Soviet Union regretted not signing it, so it discussed the Soviet-Japanese peace agreement with Japan alone, hoping to end the Soviet-Japanese war state with the territorial planning of the San Francisco Peace Treaty with Japan. However, Japan's experience at this time During the Korean War, it was fully committed to providing logistics for the United States.

It is no longer a defeated country at the mercy of others. It has transformed into a strategic ally of the United States. It has toughened its back and started bargaining. At this time, due to the United States behind Japan, it had no choice but to follow Japan in 1956. Japan signed the "Soviet-Japanese Integration Declaration", and the Soviet Union promised that Japan would return the two islands of Habomai and Shikotan in the Southern Kuril Islands if it was willing to sign a peace agreement to end the war.

However, due to domestic pressure, Japan believed that it was not willing to sign a peace agreement with the Soviet Union, but strongly demanded to take back the entire Southern Kuril Islands. At this point, the Japan-Russia Southern Kuril Islands issue began. It continues to this day!

At the same time, the Soviet-Japanese peace agreement was not signed, and Russia has not signed a Russian-Japanese peace agreement since then. According to international practice, Japan and Russia are still in a legal state of war.

(Yuan Zaiyu)