Russia has officially suspended its collaborative agreement with Japan regarding the decommissioning of Russian nuclear weapons, as disclosed in a government document released on Thursday night.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed the order on Tuesday, with the reason for this decision not explicitly stated in the document. The Russian foreign ministry is set to inform Japan about the suspension.
The diplomatic relations between Russia and Japan have experienced a significant downturn since Moscow deployed troops into Ukraine in February of the previous year. This move occurred after Tokyo aligned itself with Western nations by imposing sanctions against Russia.
The 1993 agreement, now suspended, initially stipulated that Russia’s Vladivostok-based Pacific Fleet would cease the disposal of liquid radioactive waste in the Sea of Japan.
Russia sought assistance from wealthier nations, including Japan, to process the waste for underground burial. As part of the collaboration, Tokyo played a role in decommissioning weapons, including the dismantling of nuclear submarines. However, Japanese media outlets reported a stall in the progress, attributing it to Moscow’s cessation of sending essential data to Tokyo.
