This question resolved on 30 June 2016: The two leaders met in Sochi, Russia in May, and Putin is rumored to be considering a trip to PM Abe's hometown later this year (Japan Times 1, Japan Times 2) President Putin and Prime Minister Abe discussed a state visit on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September of 2015, despite US reservations to warming relations (The Diplomat, Japan Today, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty). Recommended Questions How many countries will Russia remove from its food embargo list before 6 August 2016? Will any NATO member invoke Article 4 in response to actions taken by Russia before 1 January 2017? Will Vladimir Putin attend the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, DC, in March 2016?