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Japan has strongly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to a disputed Kuril island, describing the trip as “absolutely unacceptable” and warning that it could further worsen relations between Tokyo and Moscow.
Putin visited Iturup, known as Etorofu in Japan, on Thursday, marking his first reported visit to the disputed islands. Russian state media showed the president meeting local residents and sampling fish roe during his trip.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the visit had further damaged public sentiment towards Russia.
“The visit has worsened Japanese sentiment towards Russia,” Takaichi told reporters, while reiterating Tokyo’s position that the islands constitute Japan’s “unique territory” under both historical claims and international law.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also lodged a strong protest against the visit, saying the islands are “inherently Japanese territory both historically and under international law”.
The territorial dispute centres on four southern islands of the Kuril chain, which Japan calls the Northern Territories. Russia administers the islands, which lie between Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
The Soviet Union seized the islands at the end of World War II and deported around 17,000 Japanese residents. The dispute has prevented Japan and Russia from formally concluding a post-war peace treaty.
Efforts to resolve the territorial dispute have continued for decades but have produced little progress. Relations deteriorated further after Japan joined Western countries in imposing sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Tokyo has repeatedly protested visits by senior Russian officials to the disputed islands. Previous visitors have included Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
The islands are also strategically important to Moscow. Russia has strengthened its military presence there over the past decade, including expanding military infrastructure and deploying forces and weapons systems.
Iturup is home to Russia’s main military air base in the region, adding a significant security dimension to the territorial dispute.
Tensions have also been heightened by increased Russian and Chinese military cooperation around the Kurils. Last month, Chinese and Russian naval vessels sailed through a strait in the island chain during a joint patrol.
Russia also regularly conducts military exercises around the disputed islands, prompting repeated protests from Tokyo.
Putin’s visit comes at a time when Japan-Russia relations remain strained over territorial, security and geopolitical issues. Tokyo has maintained its claim to the four islands, while Moscow has shown no indication of relinquishing control.
The latest visit is therefore likely to further complicate efforts to resolve the decades-old dispute and restore warmer relations between the two countries. Source: BBC News