Japan Protests Putin’s First-Ever Visit To Disputed Kuril Islands

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Russia's far-eastern Kuril Islands for the first time on Thursday, prompting a strong protest from Japan, which claims four of the islands as part of its territory. The disputed islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, have remained a major source of tension between the two countries since the Soviet Union seized them in the final days of World War II in 1945.

The Kremlin released footage showing Putin on one of the four main disputed islands, while Russian state media reported that he visited a fish-processing facility and sampled local caviar. His trip marked the first visit to the islands by a Russian president since Dmitry Medvedev travelled there in 2010. Putin arrived after visiting the nearby Russian island of Sakhalin, where Russia's navy was conducting military exercises and he attended a meeting on the security of the country's eastern borders.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the visit as unacceptable, reiterating Tokyo's position that the Northern Territories are an inherent part of Japan's territory under history and international law. She warned that Putin's trip could make efforts to improve bilateral relations more difficult. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolai Nozdrev and lodged a strong protest, arguing that the visit could have an extremely negative impact on already strained Japan-Russia relations.

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Russia rejected Japan's objections, with its embassy stating that the islands are an integral part of the Russian Federation and that their status is not open to discussion with other countries. Putin has also criticised Japan's sanctions against Russia, introduced in coordination with other G7 countries following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The United Nations urged all sides to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could further increase tensions, while describing the territorial dispute as a bilateral issue.

Relations between Tokyo and Moscow have deteriorated significantly since the war in Ukraine began in 2022. Japan has imposed sanctions on Russia and provided financial and non-lethal defence assistance to Ukraine, while Russia has strengthened military cooperation with China. Joint Russian-Chinese naval and air exercises in waters around Japan have led to repeated scrambles by Japanese fighter aircraft. Tokyo has also identified Russia, China and North Korea as growing security concerns in its latest defence assessment.

The Kuril Islands stretch in an arc between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan's northern island of Hokkaido and have around 20,000 Russian residents. The islands contain mineral resources and valuable fishing grounds and have long held strategic military importance. The Soviet Union expelled about 17,000 Japanese residents after occupying the territory in 1945, while Russia has maintained military infrastructure there. Analysts view Putin's visit as a demonstration of Russia's continued control over the disputed territory and a signal of Moscow's displeasure with Japan's stance on sanctions and the Ukraine conflict.

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