Commentary: Russian Ambassador to Japan—Share reality of atomic bombing with Russia
Aug. 5, 2022
by Masanori Wada, Staff Writer
Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin, who was not invited to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, visited Hiroshima and stated that Russia was a leader in the abolition of nuclear weapons, sending out a one-sided assertion about nuclear issues. Now that nations around the world are casting a stern eye on the behavior of the nuclear superpower over its invasion of Ukraine, we should share with representatives from Russia the horrors of the use of nuclear weapons and desire for peace on the anniversary of the atomic bombing on Hiroshima. Questions remain about the city’s decision not to invite Russia to the ceremony.
The City of Hiroshima initially planned to invite Russia as in previous years. When European Union President Charles Michel visited Hiroshima in May, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui told Mr. Michel that he wanted to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the ceremony. But shortly after that, he consulted with the Japanese government and changed his mind on the ground that inviting Russia might cause misunderstanding about Japan’s attitude toward the country. He decided to follow the government’s diplomatic policy.
Mayor Matsui’s “Welcoming Peace” aims to call on leaders of both nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states to be aware of the reality of the atomic bombing and to awaken the human conscience beyond confrontations between nations. Russian policymakers are the very people that should be welcomed now.
Before he left Peace Memorial Park on August 4, Mr. Galuzin said that the “threat of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia” was “malicious slander.” The city government of Hiroshima did not attempt to contact him. If Hiroshima was used only as a political stage, we feel nothing but anger.
(Originally published on August 5, 2022)
Russian Ambassador to Japan Mikhail Galuzin, who was not invited to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, visited Hiroshima and stated that Russia was a leader in the abolition of nuclear weapons, sending out a one-sided assertion about nuclear issues. Now that nations around the world are casting a stern eye on the behavior of the nuclear superpower over its invasion of Ukraine, we should share with representatives from Russia the horrors of the use of nuclear weapons and desire for peace on the anniversary of the atomic bombing on Hiroshima. Questions remain about the city’s decision not to invite Russia to the ceremony.
The City of Hiroshima initially planned to invite Russia as in previous years. When European Union President Charles Michel visited Hiroshima in May, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui told Mr. Michel that he wanted to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the ceremony. But shortly after that, he consulted with the Japanese government and changed his mind on the ground that inviting Russia might cause misunderstanding about Japan’s attitude toward the country. He decided to follow the government’s diplomatic policy.
Mayor Matsui’s “Welcoming Peace” aims to call on leaders of both nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states to be aware of the reality of the atomic bombing and to awaken the human conscience beyond confrontations between nations. Russian policymakers are the very people that should be welcomed now.
Before he left Peace Memorial Park on August 4, Mr. Galuzin said that the “threat of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia” was “malicious slander.” The city government of Hiroshima did not attempt to contact him. If Hiroshima was used only as a political stage, we feel nothing but anger.
(Originally published on August 5, 2022)
