The Japanese government issued a formal condemnation this week following Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Kuril Islands. These islands, which Japan refers to as the Northern Territories, remain a central point of tension between Tokyo and Moscow. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated the visit is unacceptable, noting that the territory remains part of Japan under international law.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned the Russian ambassador to Tokyo to register a protest over the incident. The archipelago, seized by the Soviet Union at the end of the second world war, includes Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai islet group. This location holds strategic importance due to local fishing grounds and mineral deposits.
During his trip, the Russian president visited a hospital and a fish processing plant. He also spent time on the nearby island of Sakhalin to observe navy drills. While former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe once sought a peace treaty through a diplomatic arrangement with Russia, bilateral relations deteriorated significantly after Japan imposed sanctions following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The current dispute prevents the two nations from signing a formal peace treaty to end the second world war. The islands house approximately 20,000 Russian citizens today, while about 17,000 Japanese residents lived there prior to the Soviet occupation. Japan maintains that the move contradicts their longstanding position on the region.