Japan demands removal of Russian monument in Khabarovsk

Khabarovsk monument Japan-Russia relations Soviet war memorial Imperial Chrysanthemum diplomatic dispute

A diplomatic dispute has emerged between Japan and Russia following the unveiling of a 15-meter bronze monument in Khabarovsk. The statue depicts a Soviet soldier using a rifle butt to destroy a border marker featuring the Japanese Imperial Chrysanthemum symbol.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has demanded the removal of the monument, calling the depiction of the national symbol being destroyed ‘absolutely unacceptable’. Foreign Minister Toshimichi Motegi added that the installation is regrettable and non-constructive for bilateral relations. The Japanese Consulate in Khabarovsk had reportedly requested the removal of the imperial symbol prior to the monument's inauguration on September 4.

Russian authorities have refused the request. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected Japan's demands, accusing Tokyo of ‘selective memory’ regarding historical events. Nikolai Ovseyenko, a deputy head of the Russian Presidential Directorate for Humanitarian Policy, confirmed that Russia will not remove the monument, stating that symbols of Japanese militarism will remain. The controversy occurs amid existing tensions over the Kuril Islands and recent diplomatic friction between the two nations.

Entities

Dmitry Peskov · Japan · Japan · Khabarovsk · Nikolai Ovseyenko · Russia · Russia · Sanae Takaichi · Sanae Takaiichi · Takaichi · Toshimichi Motegi

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Nikolai Ovseyenko, a deputy head of the Russian Presidential Directorate for Humanitarian Policy, stated Russia will not remove the monument. sputniknews.cn
[● 6 SOURCES] Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaiichi called for the removal of a Russian monument in Khabarovsk. www.pravda.sk · hnonline.sk · news.cube-soft.jp · razydzisiaj.pl · zambianobserver.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The monument in Khabarovsk features a 15-meter tall statue of a Soviet soldier destroying a border stone marked with the chrysanthemum crest. razydzisiaj.pl · sputniknews.cn · wydarzenia.interia.pl · zambianobserver.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The monument was unveiled on September 4 to commemorate victory over Japanese militarism and the end of WWII. sputniknews.cn
[● 3 SOURCES] Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimichi Motegi described the installation as regrettable and non-constructive for bilateral relations. www.pravda.sk · hnonline.sk · wydarzenia.interia.pl
[○ 1 SOURCE] Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected Japan's request to remove the monument, accusing Tokyo of 'selective memory'. wydarzenia.interia.pl