Japan Just Suddenly Became Russia’s Worst Nightmare

Paul J. Warburg 30 min

Russia is provoking Japan over the Kuril Islands to appease China, which could backfire by pushing Japan to support Ukraine. Japan already knows that to allow Russian aggression to go unanswered is to invite more aggression.

  • Vladimir Putin

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    Putin's Provocation

    Vladimir Putin is making bizarre threatening gestures towards a chain of islands off Russia's east coast that most people have never even heard of.

  2. 0:46

    The Kuril Islands Dispute

    These islands are one of the most contentious series of islands on the entire planet, especially if you're Russian or if you're Japanese.

  3. 6:18

    Historical Betrayal

    Towards the end of World War II, even though the Soviet Union was allied to the United States and the United States was at war with Japan, the Soviet Union itself had a non-aggression pact with Japan.

  4. 14:15

    Strategic Significance

    The Kiril Islands are strategic because they are an incredibly long chain of islands guarding the access to Russia's entire Pacific coast, including their nuclear Pacific fleet based in Vladivostok.

  5. 19:34

    China's Role

    Russia has been making massive concessions to China that they have resisted for decades, in some cases, just as vigorously as they have resisted Japanese demands over the Kiril Islands themselves. Russia is caving in and giving China things that Russia previously did not want to give them. Clearly, because Russia needs Chinese support to continue their war against Ukraine.

  6. 27:46

    Japan's Response

    Russia, by opening up an unnecessary conflict with the Japanese right now, could really hurt their strategy in the war in Ukraine very badly. Japan already knows that to allow Russian aggression to go unanswered is to invite more aggression. They only need to continue that strategy.

Key points

  • 0:00

    Vladimir Putin is currently in the process of making a series of very bizarre moves.

  • 0:46

    These islands are actually a fascinating place on the map.

  • 6:18

    Towards the end of World War II, even though the Soviet Union was allied to the United States and the United States was at war with Japan, the Soviet Union itself had a non-aggression pact with Japan.

  • 14:15

    The Kirill Islands are strategic because they are an incredibly long chain of islands guarding the access to Russia's entire Pacific coast.

  • 19:34

    Lately, Russia has been making massive concessions to China that they have resisted for decades.

  • 19:34

    Clearly, because Russia needs Chinese support to continue their war against Ukraine.

  • 27:46

    In other words, Russia, by opening up an unnecessary conflict with the Japanese right now, could really hurt their strategy in the war in Ukraine very badly.

  • 27:46

    They only need to continue that strategy, and it's unlikely that the Russians will actually harm them if the Japanese show strength.

Who and where

People · 1

  • Drawing of Vladimir Putin

    Vladimir Putin 18

    President of the Russian Federation

    Photo 1

1. Photo: Пресс-служба Президента России, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Wikidata · redrawn in our house style (Vladimir Putin)

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