Japan may not allow Russia’s Putin to attend Shinzo Abe’s state funeral: report

Tokyo is considering refusing Putin’s participation at the September 27 event because his entry to the country has been effectively banned after Russia invaded Ukraine

The state funeral plan has led to protests from the public over the government’s attempt to politicise Abe’s death to glorify him

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Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 2:47pm, 23 Jul 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin may not be allowed to participate in a planned state funeral for former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe should he decide he wants to attend, Sankei reported, citing several unnamed officials.

The Japanese government is considering refusing Putin’s participation because his entry to the Asian country has been effectively banned following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the newspaper said in its Saturday edition.

It’s unlikely, however, that the Russian leader wants to attend the event, a senior Japanese government official was quoted in the report as saying.

Japan will tell foreign governments of its plan to hold the funeral on September 27 and ask whether they want to take part in it, the report said.

Tokyo has imposed a series of sanctions on Moscow, while providing non-lethal military equipment to Ukraine in recent months.

The state funeral plan has received a mixed reaction from opposition leaders and the public. Some oppose the use of tax money on the event, while others criticise Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s governing party for politicising Abe’s death to glorify him and attempt to end debate over his highly divisive legacy, including his hawkish diplomatic and security policies and revisionist stance on wartime history.