Russia warns Japan against remilitarization, urges adherence to pacifist principles

MOSCOW - Japan should draw lessons from history and adhere to the pacifist provisions of its constitution if it does not want to repeat past mistakes, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.

At a regular briefing, Zakharova said that Japan has been consistently undertaking steps toward remilitarization, including the procurement of strike weapons such as cruise missiles, which cannot be classified as defensive weapons.

She said Russia has repeatedly warned Japan about the destructive consequences of sharply increasing military spending, particularly when it involves acquiring weapons that could pose potential threats to the national security of neighboring countries, including Russia.

According to Zakharova, Japan's policies have an extremely negative impact on both regional and global stability, exacerbating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region and potentially triggering a new round of arms race.

She noted that if new missile threats to Russian territory emerge, Russia will respond and take necessary measures to ensure its defense capability.