Japan is considering the possibility of strengthening sanctions against Russia after Vladimir Putin‘s visit to one of the Kuril Islands. On Thursday, the Kremlin reported that the Russian president visited the island of Iturup.
During the visit, Putin visited the Yasny fish processing complex and the Kurilskaya Central District Hospital. He then visited the Eduard Norpolov Hero of Russia Secondary School, where he inspected the gym, classrooms, and school museum, and also spoke with students. To conclude the working trip, Vladimir Putin met with the governor of the Sakhalin region, Valery Limarenko, the Russian president’s office reported.
Japan considers strengthening sanctions
“We showed him how our region is developing and discussed future plans with the head of state,” Limarenko wrote in a post on Telegram. According to him, in recent years, cities on Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands have changed: new roads and social facilities have been built there, and new industries have been launched.
The Russian president’s visit to the island provoked an immediate reaction from the government of Japan. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that the Northern Territories are an integral part of Japan “both historically and according to international law,” and that Putin‘s actions negatively affect the feelings of the Japanese people.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimits Motegi urgently summoned the Russian ambassador to Tokyo, Nikolay Nozdrev, to officially express a strong protest. The minister emphasized the extremely negative impact of this visit on relations between the two countries.
“We are considering what measures to take in the future,” a high-ranking representative of the Japanese diplomatic department reported on Friday. His statement indicates the possibility of strengthening sanctions that the international community has already imposed on Russia in connection with the war in Ukraine.
Historical context of the dispute
The disputed islands, which Tokyo calls the Northern Territories and Moscow calls the Southern Kurils, include Etorofu, Kunashir, Shikotan, and the Habomai archipelago. Japan claims that these territories were illegally seized by the Soviet Union after Japan’s surrender in World War II. Russia states that the establishment of control over the islands was fully justified. Modern relations between the two countries remain tense also due to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Source: Gazeta.pl
