Russian Ambassador to Japan says Russia will not use nuclear weapons, criticizes city for not inviting Russia to August 6 ceremony
Aug. 5, 2022
by Fumiyasu Miyano and Yu Kawakami, Staff Writers
Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin said on August 4 that his country had no intention of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine in relation to the Ukraine invasion. He made this comment after offering flowers to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park located in central Hiroshima. Amid deepening concern in the international community about the “nuclear threat” by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr. Galuzin emphasized his nation’s stance on the nuclear issue in the A-bombed city. He criticized the City of Hiroshima for not inviting Russia to the Peace Memorial Ceremony to be held on August 6.
Mr. Galuzin visited the cenotaph with some 20 members of the Russian Embassy staff at around 10:10 a.m. on August 4. He laid flowers and bowed his head.
Immediately after visiting the cenotaph, he granted an interview to reporters in Japanese. He said that the reason for his visit to Peace Memorial Park before the anniversary of the atomic bombing on Hiroshima was to clearly express Russia’s positive attitude toward nuclear disarmament. He criticized the city government for not inviting Russia to the ceremony because of the situation in Ukraine and said that the city’s decision was made ignoring the fact that Russia was a leader in the abolition of nuclear weapons and that the decision was extremely deplorable.
When asked about President Putin’s comments suggesting the use of nuclear weapons, Mr. Galuzin said that Russia would not use such weapons in Ukraine. He also said that Russia had not made any statements that indirectly or directly imply the use of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Galuzin was in Hiroshima to participate in a symposium on nuclear disarmament of which the Russian Embassy was one of the sponsors. He did not ask Mayor Kazumi Matsui to meet him.
Interviewed by reporters in Hiroshima’s Naka Ward, Mayor Matsui said, “Since he has come to Hiroshima and sent out a message that Russia will not use nuclear weapons and that the country desires for peace, Russia should make sincere efforts to solve diplomatic issues between nations.”
(Originally published on August 5, 2022)
Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin said on August 4 that his country had no intention of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine in relation to the Ukraine invasion. He made this comment after offering flowers to the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park located in central Hiroshima. Amid deepening concern in the international community about the “nuclear threat” by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr. Galuzin emphasized his nation’s stance on the nuclear issue in the A-bombed city. He criticized the City of Hiroshima for not inviting Russia to the Peace Memorial Ceremony to be held on August 6.
Mr. Galuzin visited the cenotaph with some 20 members of the Russian Embassy staff at around 10:10 a.m. on August 4. He laid flowers and bowed his head.
Immediately after visiting the cenotaph, he granted an interview to reporters in Japanese. He said that the reason for his visit to Peace Memorial Park before the anniversary of the atomic bombing on Hiroshima was to clearly express Russia’s positive attitude toward nuclear disarmament. He criticized the city government for not inviting Russia to the ceremony because of the situation in Ukraine and said that the city’s decision was made ignoring the fact that Russia was a leader in the abolition of nuclear weapons and that the decision was extremely deplorable.
When asked about President Putin’s comments suggesting the use of nuclear weapons, Mr. Galuzin said that Russia would not use such weapons in Ukraine. He also said that Russia had not made any statements that indirectly or directly imply the use of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Galuzin was in Hiroshima to participate in a symposium on nuclear disarmament of which the Russian Embassy was one of the sponsors. He did not ask Mayor Kazumi Matsui to meet him.
Interviewed by reporters in Hiroshima’s Naka Ward, Mayor Matsui said, “Since he has come to Hiroshima and sent out a message that Russia will not use nuclear weapons and that the country desires for peace, Russia should make sincere efforts to solve diplomatic issues between nations.”
(Originally published on August 5, 2022)
