Japan Recalls Invitation for Putin over Ukraine

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has given up on hosting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Japan this fall, posponing the visit for spring 2015 or even later.

Censor.NET reports abut this, citing The Japan Times.

The United States has asked Japan to postpone the Putin visit, and Tokyo sees it as important to keep in step with European countries that, together with Japan and the United States, have slapped sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, the sources said Monday.

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Tokyo had hoped that Putin's visit would advance bilateral negotiations over the ownership of the Russian-held islands off Hokkaido, the long-running dispute that has kept the two countries from signing a post-World War II peace treaty.

Read also: Russia Does Not Fulfill Conditions to Avoid Sanctions - State Department

Japan is expected to announce additional sanctions against Russia soon in a bid to show that the country is in step with the United States and Europe over Moscow's annexation of Crimea, government sources have said.