MOSCOW, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- In response to Russia's proposal to sign a peace treaty by the end of the year, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo could not sign the agreement without preconditions on territorial issues, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a meeting in Vladivostok on September 10, 2018. (Photo: AFP)