Moscow is seriously concerned that military exercises involving Japan have ceased to be purely defensive in nature. The Russian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti this.
The foreign policy agency drew attention to the plans announced by official Tokyo to use the "Type-25" strike missile systems, deployed several months ago on the country's territory, during the joint Japanese-American Keen Sword - 27 exercises scheduled for October this year.
In 2022, Japan adopted a new National Security Strategy providing for doubling defense spending over five years to a level of two percent of GDP. In 2026, the military budget reached 55.7 billion dollars, and total spending, according to Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, total defense spending this year will reach 66.6 billion - 1.9 percent of GDP.
In July, the head of the Japanese military agency called for lifting the taboo on discussions about nuclear weapons.
As Ambassador to Tokyo Nikolai Nozdrev emphasized in a conversation with RIA Novosti, with the coming to power of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan has taken a course toward militarization. He warned that such a policy will entail retaliatory measures not only from Russia, but also from other countries in the region.