Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida strongly condemned Russia's decision to cancel peace talks with Tokyo that would iron out their territorial disputes over Kuril islands and formally end World War II.
In a hearing at the nation's upper chamber of parliament, Kishida called the move "harsh," "unjustified" and "unacceptable."
During the day on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it is withdrawing from negotiations with Japan, citing Tokyo's sanctions on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine as the reason.
