Japan’s top spokesman says Japan has ‘consistently defended freedom, democracy and the rule of law’ since the end of World War II
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenKyodoPublished: 3:40pm, 28 Sep 2026Tokyo on Monday rebuked Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov after he voiced opposition over the weekend to Japan’s drive for permanent membership of the UN Security Council, claiming the country was on a “path of militarisation”.Lavrov’s comments came as the security council, tasked with safeguarding peace, is facing calls for reform amid accusations it failed to prevent recent conflicts such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, due largely to the veto power of its five permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.At the UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday, Lavrov said a reformed security council “cannot provide any extra seats” to Germany and Japan, which had taken “the path of militarisation”.
