President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Russia is ready for talks with Japan over disputed Pacific Islands, but Japan may not be ready for negotiations.
Japan has imposed a set of measures against Russia for its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea.
"Both Japan and Russia have an interest in resolving this problem [of the Kurile Islands]," Putin told Western journalists on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
"Any solution should not hurt the interests of either side and any compromise should not make either of the sides feel defeated."