Russia's threat to retaliate against US-Japan naval exercises shows it's getting jumpy, analysts say

Authored by edition.cnn.com and submitted by qowmeor
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Tokyo (CNN) Russia has warned Japan of "retaliatory measures" if it expands joint naval exercises with the United States near Russia's eastern borders.

The threat is just the latest salvo from Moscow, which has been angered by Japan's support for Ukraine and its growing ties with NATO countries, and is turning up the heat in a long-running dispute over the sovereignty of islands captured by Soviet forces at the end of World War II.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov said Tuesday that US-Japan naval exercises were "potentially offensive in nature," according to a report on Tuesday by Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti.

"We see such actions by the Japanese side as a threat to the security of our country," Morgulov said. "If such practices expand, Russia will take retaliatory measures in the interests of strengthening its defense capabilities."

USS Abraham Lincoln, left, and JS Kongo, front, take part in a US-Japan joint exercise in the Sea of Japan on April 12

However, he did not specify which US-Japan exercises he was talking about -- nor did he make explicit what form Russia's retaliation might take.

AmonDiexJr on April 27th, 2022 at 10:48 UTC »

A second front agaisnt Japan seems like the good thing to do for Russia

FM-101 on April 27th, 2022 at 10:45 UTC »

The problem with lying about threats all the time is that everyone stops taking your threats seriously.

RallyToTheColors on April 27th, 2022 at 10:21 UTC »

Retaliate how?

Lose another missile cruiser and then pretend a sailor with a cigarette and a raincloud sunk it?