Russia's Foreign Ministry says Japan's unfriendly moves will not go unanswered
In short
Russia's Foreign Ministry said on 5 October that what it called unfriendly moves by Japan will not go unanswered, according to the state agencies TASS and RIA Novosti. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova promised countermeasures against Tokyo, TASS reported. Neither report said which Japanese actions prompted the statement or what the countermeasures would be.
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Russia's Foreign Ministry said that unfriendly moves by Japan will not go unanswered, according to reports by the state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti on 5 October. TASS quoted Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as promising countermeasures in response to Tokyo. [ 1 , 2 ]
Neither report identified the Japanese actions that prompted the statement, and neither described what form the promised countermeasures would take. The two items were published four minutes apart and restated the ministry's position without further detail. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The statements come from Russia's Foreign Ministry and were carried by two state news agencies, giving them the weight of an official position rather than a media report. Because neither document names the Japanese actions at issue or the measures promised, the practical consequences for Russia-Japan relations are not spelled out in the coverage available.
Key facts
- Russia's Foreign Ministry said unfriendly moves by Japan will not go unanswered. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova promised countermeasures in response to Tokyo. [ 1 ]
- The statements were carried by the state news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti on 5 October, four minutes apart. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Which specific Japanese actions the Foreign Ministry was responding to. Neither document identifies the moves by Tokyo that prompted the statement.
- What countermeasures Russia intends to take. Neither report describes the measures that were promised, and both are limited to the ministry's stated position.