Russia said on Friday that it is conducting military drills on the Kuril Islands, just days after withdrawing from WWII peace treaty discussions in response to Tokyo’s stance on the Ukrainian war, in what is being interpreted as a dire message to Japan. Moscow claims sovereignty over the Southern Kurils, which Japan refers to as the ‘Northern Territories,’ and the two countries have been at odds over the chain of islands since WWII. Although Russia administers the Kuril Islands, Tokyo asserts that the Northern Territories, which were taken by Soviet soldiers during WWII, have never been disputed.

Tokyo argued and mocked Russia for discontinuing its cooperation economic ventures about the four disputed islands, which have been part of Japan since the early nineteenth century.

Russia’s Eastern Military District stated on Friday that it is conducting military drills with more than 3,000 troops and dozens of army vehicles on the archipelago that separates the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean, according to Russia’s Interfax news agency. The southernmost islands of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai, which are only a few kilometers off the north coast of Hokkaido, Japan’s main island, were conquered by the Soviet Union forces in 1945. During WWII, Tokyo surrendered in front of the Soviet Union.

Over the island dispute, both Russia and Japan have yet to formally end World War II hostilities. Japan has been attempting to reclaim the island, which is currently under Russian control. It claims that the expansion was unlawful and wants that they are returned, while Russia claims that it was a necessary result of the conflict.

According to Kyodo, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has repeatedly assured the parliament that “our country’s sovereignty covers the Northern Territories,” and that he will resolve the disputed island with Russia “very soon.”

“Our country’s sovereignty includes the Northern Territories [Southern Kuril Islands]. The government’s position on this issue has not changed. The ownership of the four islands is the subject of negotiations on the signing of the peace treaty [with Russia]. This has always been Japan’s policy “Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had informed Parliament.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that Russia “does not intend to continue negotiations with Japan.”

Due to the concerted Western sanctions against Russia, Russia also unilaterally withdrew from WWII peace treaty discussions with Japan and stopped collaborative economic initiatives relating to the disputed Kuril Islands. “Russia does not want to continue negotiations with Japan on a peace treaty under the existing circumstances,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a statement. It sneered at Japan’s “openly hostile positions and attempts to harm our country’s interests” Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s Deputy Security Council Chairman has stated that Japan and Russia will never reach an agreement on the Kuril Islands. The suspension of dialogue with Japan was described by Medvedev as “unacceptable.” “On his Telegram channel, he said, “Historically justifiable, obsolete, and fair.”

Last Thursday, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi stated that the Kuril Islands are a part of Japan, not Russia. He referred to the area as Japan’s “original lands” during a debate in the National Diet (Parliament). The Minister stated that the islands are “primordially Japanese,” reaffirming Japan’s position on the long-standing contested issue.