Russia Rejects Belgium's Accusations of Threatening Europe, Warns of Tensions with Japan
Russia recalled its ambassador to Belgium and issued a warning to Japan over the arrest of a journalist.
Translated by Qiyas from كونا — Original source
Moscow, October 13 (KUNA) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday rejected accusations by Belgian authorities alleging Russian military threats to Europe, announcing the recall of the Belgian ambassador to Moscow and informing him of Russia’s position. In a statement, the ministry warned of the repercussions of the arrest of a Japanese journalist on espionage charges for Moscow-Tokyo relations, urging Japan to reconsider its stance and abandon what it described as hostile actions toward Russia. According to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, the ministry stated that Belgian Ambassador Michel Gherbsov was summoned to its headquarters, where he was informed of Moscow’s rejection of what it termed increasingly unsubstantiated claims regarding alleged hybrid, sabotage, and direct military threats from Russia against Belgium and Europe. It added that “statements by Belgian officials portraying Russia as an enemy of Europe contribute to escalating tensions and increasing the risk of the confrontation spiraling out of control,” calling on Belgium to review its anti-Russian rhetoric and assess its impact on stability in Europe.
Regarding Russian-Japanese relations, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned that the arrest of a Japanese journalist on espionage charges would heighten tensions between the two countries, urging Tokyo to reconsider its position and abandon what it described as hostile actions toward Moscow. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) had previously announced the detention of a journalist working for the Japanese newspaper Hokkaido Shimbun in the Sakhalin region on suspicion of gathering information related to Russian defense capabilities for a Japanese intelligence agency. Russian media agencies reported that the journalist was transferred to Moscow, where a court ordered his detention pending investigation, with no final judicial ruling issued on the charges against him.
On the issue of maritime navigation, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Sweden’s detention of the oil tanker Sea Owl is part of a coordinated strategy by the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) aimed at restricting freedom of navigation in the Baltic Sea and limiting Russian commercial activity. The ministry affirmed Moscow’s readiness to respond in kind to any attempts to seize or detain vessels operating on its behalf anywhere in the world’s oceans. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated in a comment that the tanker had been detained in Swedish territorial waters last March on suspicion of falsifying registration documents and sailing despite technical problems, noting that the vessel had left Swedish waters on October 12 after completing re-registration under the flag of Equatorial Guinea.
In the energy and food security file, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Ukrainian authorities of deliberately targeting oil tankers to destabilize the international energy market, while affirming that Moscow has not withdrawn from serious dialogue on enhancing global food security. (End) D.A.N. / R.J.
