Brief: Russia and Japan Jostle Over the Kurils

Russia's deployment of air defense systems has sparked tensions with its Pacific neighbor.

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Background: Russia and Japan have jockeyed for power in the northwestern Pacific for more than a century. The two countries never even signed a peace treaty after Japan’s defeat in World War II (though they did formally declare an end to a state of war in 1956). The main point of contention is continued Russian […]

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