Russia has expressed distrust
over Japan’s pledge to remove U.S. missile systems following the conclusion of
joint military exercises, warning that such actions would draw a response. Russian
Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told the Russian newspaper Izvestia that
Japanese authorities had assured Russia that the U.S. missile systems would be
removed from Japanese territory after the military exercises ended. However,
Rudenko said that Russia has very little confidence in the current Japanese
government. Andrey Rudenko said that Russia had clearly warned Japan that such
actions would not be ignored.
According to reports, the
United States had planned to deploy its Typhon ground-based missile system for
military exercises on Kyushu, Japan’s southwestern main island, from June to
September. The system is capable of launching missiles with medium- and
shorter-range capabilities. Reports also indicated that HIMARS multiple rocket
launcher systems would be deployed during the exercises. Russia has demanded
the withdrawal of the U.S. Typhon missile system from Japanese territory.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova had previously said that
military exercises involving the deployment of the Typhon missile system posed
a threat to Russia’s interests and security in the region.