Russia's Lavrov Summons Japan's Ambassador, Discusses Ghana and North Korea

On August 17, 2026, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made several statements covering a range of foreign policy issues. He announced that Japan's ambassador had been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, saying Japan had 'crossed the line of decency' over its protest against President Vladimir Putin's visit to the Kuril Islands. Lavrov also accused Ukrainian troops of involvement in terrorism against Sahel states and criticized the West's actions in Africa.

In other remarks, Lavrov responded to a request from Ghana regarding its citizens participating in Russia's military operation in Ukraine, saying the request would be considered. He also announced that the quota for Ghanaian students to study in Russia would be doubled. Additionally, Lavrov expressed a shared goal between Russia and North Korea to establish a new, fair world order.