Russia's Shoigu warns against resurgence of Japanese militarism

Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, has warned that Japan's recent actions reflect a rising trend of militarism that warrants close attention from the international community.

Shoigu said Japan has engaged in "almost constant provocations" and has undergone a rapid transformation, shifting from a country without the right to maintain armed forces to its current posture.

He noted that Japan's new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has called for raising the nation's defense budget to two percent of GDP.

According to Shoigu, this target aligns with NATO's existing two percent benchmark, which he said has already been slated to increase to five percent following Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency. "Japan is heading step by step," he said.

Shoigu also expressed concern about the development and deployment of new weaponry, specifically arms left behind after joint U.S.-Japan military exercises.

"We certainly cannot ignore the weapons that the U.S., in particular, leaves here after drills. I'm talking about missiles and decisions to deploy missiles to Japanese ships," he said.