Russia expresses concerns over deployment of missile defense systems in Japan
Russia will take Japan’s deployment of ground-based anti-missile defense systems (ABM) into account in its military planning, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov in a statement published on the Foreign Ministry's website.
"The systems deployed on Japanese territory are technically and functionally identical to the American ones; precisely, those capable of launching both interceptor missiles and assault cruise missiles," Ryabkov said.
The Deputy Minister noted that Moscow is paying attention to a statement by the Japanese Foreign Ministry that the ABM system deployed on the country’s territory will be managed from Tokyo, and does not pose a threat to Russia.
"The fact is that similar systems may now appear on the eastern borders of Russia, and will create a different situation for us," Ryabkov added.
Earlier, the Japanese government approved a record defense spending bill of about $861 billion, of which a significant portion will be spent on the purchase of missile defense systems to protect against North Korean missiles. $730 million will thus be spent on preparations for the installation of American Aegis Ashore systems in the country.
Valery Kistanov, head of the Center for Japanese Studies at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told RBC news agency that Japan's spending on defense has grown over the last five years, particularly since the re-election of Shinzo Abe as Prime Minister. "Abe explains the growth in the need to strengthen Japan's defense capability in connection with the nuclear missile threat from North Korea. In addition, China is claiming the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea," the expert explained.