Russia says US missiles in Japan for drills would threaten Russia

MOSCOW, May 28 - Russia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that allowing U.S. missile systems to be deployed on Japanese territory as part of military drills would threaten the security of Russia's eastern borders.

"Russia regards Japan's provision of its territory for the deployment of U.S. Typhon missile systems for the duration of military exercises as a step that threatens Russia's Far Eastern borders," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Zakharova said that Moscow had repeatedly informed Tokyo of its concerns that any deployment of missiles in Japan had "a serious negative impact on the stability and security of the Asia-Pacific region and poses a direct threat to our Far Eastern frontiers."

"We have also regularly warned the Japanese side against making such decisions, which we will inevitably classify as deliberate, hostile and ignoring the national interests of the Russian Federation," she said. REUTERS