Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov met with Japanese Ambassador Toyohisa Kozuki on Thursday, August 25 and briefed the envoy on the preparations for the first 48-hour humanitarian pause in Aleppo. Antonov invited his Japanese counterparts to join the mission, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement, according to Sputnik.

On August 18, the Russian Defense Ministry welcomed UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura's proposal for a 48-hour pause in fighting in Aleppo and expressed readiness to implement the first 48-hour humanitarian pause to supply the city with aid as a "pilot project."

On Thursday, de Mistura said the United Nations was ready to begin humanitarian assistance deliveries to Aleppo at any time having received Russia’s agreement for the pause, but awaited guarantees from other actors on the ground.

At the meeting Thursday, Antonov additionally expressed concern to Kozuki that U.S. missile system deployment in the Asia-Pacific negatively impacts regional and military stability.

In July, South Korea and the United States announced that they had agreed to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in the South Korean Seongju County amid increased tensions on the peninsula.