Any deployment of US nuclear weapons to Japan within "Asian NATO" would lead to the collapse of regional stability. This was stated by the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, reported "Reuters".
According to her, this will lead to the "collapse of any stability in an already long-suffering region".
Japan's new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, on the eve of his inauguration, outlined a plan to revamp Tokyo's closest alliance, including Washington in an "Asian NATO" and included as a possibility that Japan could deploy troops on US territory.
Ishiba said the new security alliance could even share control of Washington's nuclear weapons as a deterrent against Japan's nuclear neighbors. We remind you that the USA and India rejected the idea of an "Asian NATO".
Zakharova also commented on Oslo's decision to cut Russian diplomatic staff, saying that Moscow would retaliate against Norway.
"We will take this last unfriendly step into account when we plot our future route to Norway. We promise that our response will definitely be delicate, we promise this for the Norwegian side," Zakharova said.
For its part, Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there had been a dialogue with Russia over time to ensure a diplomatic presence in both countries.
"We continue this dialogue. This is in Norway's interest,", a Norwegian foreign ministry spokesman said in a written statement, adding that despite being neighbors, Russia and Norway have "low contact" due to Russia's "illegal war of aggression against Ukraine".
On October 14, the Russian Embassy in Norway announced that it was reducing its consular staff to two in accordance with a request submitted by the Norwegian authorities.