Japan's experience shows why Ukraine won't get Russia out with talk

 

 Japan's experience shows why Ukraine won't get Russia out with talk

Japan's long-running territorial dispute with Russia carries lessons for Ukraine and the West, namely that Moscow cannot be trusted to ever return seized territory though it may hold out the possibility of withdrawal as a means of exacting diplomatic leverage, writes James Brown.
 
Referring to Japan's Northern Territories, which have been under Russian occupation for nearly 80 years, the Temple University professor points out that "Russia has deliberately left the door ajar and periodically encouraged Japanese leaders to believe that a territorial deal could be possible." This has resulted in Tokyo offering economic cooperation and diplomatic support to Moscow.
 
Brown says that Crimea and other Ukrainian lands seized by Russia will similarly "be string which Moscow will pull for decades to come as a means to manipulate Ukrainian politics." He argues, "This is yet a further reason why Ukraine must resist pressure to compromise and insist on the immediate return of all occupied territory."