Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi criticized the first-ever visit by Vladimir Putin to the disputed Kuril Islands on Thursday, calling it “absolutely unacceptable”.
Russian state media reported that Putin visited the island of Iturup, known in Japan as Etorofu. It is one of four islands in the Kuril chain claimed by both Russia and Japan. Takaichi told journalists that Putin’s trip “worsened the feelings of the Japanese people toward Russia”, emphasizing that these islands are “a unique territory of [Japan] both historically and under international law”.
The territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands has lasted for decades and is the main reason Moscow and Tokyo have not signed a peace treaty after World War II. The Kuril Islands are located between Hokkaido in northern Japan and the Russian peninsula of Kamchatka. Japan considers the four southernmost islands its territory, calling them the Northern Territories.
Currently, the islands are under Russian administration. At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union annexed the island chain and deported about 17,000 Japanese residents. During his visit, Putin tasted caviar and spoke with local residents, Russian state media reported.
Tokyo’s reaction to the visit
Speaking from the prime minister’s office on Thursday, Takaichi said that Putin’s trip “offends the feelings of the Japanese people” and is “incompatible with Japan’s consistent position on the Northern Territories”. She added: “I hope the Russian side will take this issue very seriously”.
Earlier the same day, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimits Motegi stated that the islands are “an inherent Japanese territory both historically and under international law”, and the Japanese government “strongly protests against this visit”.
For many years, attempts to resolve the territorial dispute have not yielded significant results. Bilateral relations also remain tense: in 2022, Japan imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Japan has also protested against previous visits by Russian officials to the disputed islands, including those by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his predecessor Dmitry Medvedev.
Strategic importance of the Kurils
The Kuril Islands are a strategically important territory for Russia, which has strengthened its military presence there over the past decade. The island of Iturup serves as Russia’s main military airbase in the region.
Last month, Chinese and Russian military ships passed through a strait in the Kuril Islands area during a joint patrol. Russia also regularly conducts military exercises near the islands, which Japan condemns.
Source: BBC
