Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia "does not threaten Japan" and that Japan's escalating rhetoric and sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine are unfounded.
Putin said that Russia has no territorial claims to Japan, but hinted that Japan's territorial claims to the Kuril Islands pose a threat to Russia.
This was summarized by the Institute for the Study of War.
On August 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the commander-in-chief of the Russian Pacific Fleet, Admiral Viktor Liina, during the final phase of the Pacific Fleet's exercises in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin Region, with Putin and Liina using their public statements primarily to criticize Japan's position.
Putin also criticized the current Japanese government and called for relations to return to the state they were in under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Putin said that "the potential The risk of conflict in the Asia-Pacific region is growing as NATO "penetrates" the region, creating new military-political blocs and deploying new weapons systems.
Putin and Li's comments are likely intended to undermine Japan's efforts to improve its defense capabilities and address challenges in its security environment.
The Kremlin's reaction to Japan's 2026 "Defense White Paper" has been considerably more subdued than that of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which accused Japan of "exaggerating" its military capabilities. the threat from Beijing and uses the PRC as a pretext for remilitarization.
Putin probably wanted to make it clear that Japan should adjust its defense policy in accordance with Russian interests, while maintaining some rhetorical distance from China's sharp reaction to Japan's 2026 "White Paper."
Putin also used his meeting with Liina to criticize the EU's "recent decisions" related to the ships of the Russian "shadow fleet," probably referring to the EU's adoption of legal mechanisms that expand the powers of European authorities to inspect ships of the Russian "shadow fleet," as well as the 21st package of EU sanctions announced on July 23, 2026, targeting tankers of the Russian "shadow fleet." and oil refineries.
Putin criticized the EU's legal mechanisms for confiscating ships from the "shadow fleet" and selling their cargo, and threatened that Russia could "respond in kind" to Western ships sailing in the Pacific Fleet's area of responsibility.
Liina responded that the Pacific Fleet has the capacity to inspect and detain ships of "hostile states". In 2026, European countries are taking increasingly concerted measures to counter the Russian "shadow fleet".
On August 12, the Ukrainian authorities announced the results of Ukraine's counteroffensive in the direction of Aleksandrovka, which took place in the period January-August 2026.
The counteroffensive operations in the direction of Aleksandrovka demonstrate Ukraine's ability to achieve relatively significant tactical advances and to resume mechanized maneuvers on certain sections of the front line to a limited extent.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to warn that Russia is preparing for a large-scale forced mobilization of reservists after the Russian State Duma elections in September 2026.
On the night of August 11-12, Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale strike against Russian naval and grain infrastructure in Novorossiysk.
Recently, Ukrainian forces advanced towards Kupyansk, and Russian forces advanced into the Kostyantinovka-Druzhkovka tactical area.