Japan shifts to hard-line stance on territorial dispute with Russia

Tokyo has switched to a hard-line stance in its decades-long territorial dispute with Moscow following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, stating in its annual foreign policy report released Friday that four northern islands are "illegally occupied" by Russia.The 2022 Diplomatic Bluebook maintained the view from last year on China, saying its increasing military activities have become "a source of strong concern from the aspect of security for the international community and regions including Japan."The report highlighted Tokyo's departure from a conciliatory approach toward Russia, with the "il…READ FULL ARTICLE