Japan rules out lifting Western sanctions against Russia ...
Putin, Abe Seek Progress On Kurile Islands Dispute During Two-Day Summit
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meet on December 15 seeking progress on a territorial dispute that has prevented their countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending World War II.
The two sides are likely to clinch agreements on economic cooperation in areas from medical technology to energy. But both have sought to dampen expectations of a breakthrough in the feud over islands off Hokkaido that Russia calls the Kuriles and Japan calls the Northern Territories, which were seized by Soviet forces at the end of the war.
The two leaders will visit a mountainside inn at the hot springs resort of Nagato in southwest Japan and move their meeting to Tokyo on December 16.
Abe has pledged to resolve the territorial dispute, in hopes of leaving a diplomatic legacy. But resolving the dispute carries risks for Putin, who does not want to tarnish his reputation at home for being a staunch defender of Russian sovereignty.
Putin told the Yomiuri newspaper this week that the goal of a peace treaty would be harder to achieve if Russia remained subject to Japanese sanctions.
But Japan has ruled out undermining Western sanctions on Russia that were imposed over its aggression in Ukraine.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Strategic Swedish Island Likely To Reject Russian Request For Harbor Space
Officials on the strategic Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea said they likely will turn down a Russian request to rent harbor space out of concern it could harm the country's security.
Russian energy giant Gazprom wants to store pipes on the island for the Nord Stream 2 undersea natural-gas pipeline, which will run from Russia to Germany.
An official decision on whether to rent space in the ports of Slite on Gotland and Karlshamn on the mainland is due on December 15.
Gazprom and the European Union, which imports one-third of its natural gas from Russia, agreed last year on the pipeline to run parallel to an existing pipeline for Nord Stream 1.
Recently, however, there has been growing opposition to the project amid hesitancy to make Europe more dependent on Russian energy.
Gotland is considered of strategic importance for military control of the Baltic Sea.
In September, Sweden stationed permanent troops on Gotland, in what the nonaligned country said was a signal to Russia following its increased military activity in the region and aggression against Ukraine.
Based on reporting by AP and Reuters
This ends our live blogging for December 14. Be sure to check back tomorrow for our continued coverage.