Russia warns ties with Japan to be affected by deployment of US missile defense systems

The deployment of US-made Aegis Ashore land-based missile defense systems in Japan will affect ties between Moscow and Tokyo, the Russian Foreign Ministry warned on Thursday. Tokyo’s decision causes “deep regrets and major concerns,” TASS quoted the ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, as saying. Such actions “will negatively influence the general atmosphere in bilateral relations, including negotiations on a peace treaty,” according to Zakharova. Japan formally decided this month it would expand its ballistic missile defense system with US-made ground-based Aegis radar stations and interceptors “in response to a growing threat from North Korean rockets,” Reuters said.