Russia to halt peace treaty talks with Japan over sanctions

Russia's Foreign Ministry said it will suspend negotiations for a postwar peace treaty with Japan, deemed as an apparent reaction to Japan's sanctions against Moscow for invading Ukraine, prompting Tokyo to protest the move Tuesday.Russia also announced Monday that it was halting a visa-free program that allows former Japanese residents to periodically visit the Russian-controlled, Japan-claimed islands off Hokkaido, while indicating that it will withdraw from joint economic activities on the disputed islands.While the ministry said Japan's anti-Russia actions are to be blamed for the deter…READ FULL ARTICLE