Japan PM says Putin’s visit to disputed islands ‘absolutely unacceptable’

In a strong rebuke, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin's first-ever visit to the disputed Kuril islands on Thursday as "absolutely unacceptable". The Russian leader paid a visit to Iturup, known in Japan as Etorofu, one of the four islands in the Kuril chain that are claimed by both Russia and Japan.

Takaichi's statement came as Russian state media reported on Putin's trip, which has been reported to have "worsened Japanese sentiment towards Russia", she told reporters. The island chain is a matter of long-standing dispute between the two countries, and it remains the primary reason why a peace treaty was not signed after World War Two.

The Kuril islands, situated between Hokkaido in northern Japan and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, are claimed by Japan as the Northern Territories and are under Russian administration. During his visit, Putin sampled local fish roe and spoke to residents on the island. Takaichi expressed her hope that the Russian side would take the seriousness of this matter seriously.

Japan's foreign minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, had earlier declared the islands "inherently Japanese territory both historically and under international law, and the Government of Japan strongly protests this visit". Despite various attempts to resolve the territorial dispute, progress has been minimal, and bilateral relations have remained strained due to Japan's sanctions against Russia for its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Japan has also protested previous visits to the disputed islands by Russian officials, including Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his predecessor Dmitry Medvedev. The Kuril islands hold strategic importance for Russia, with the island of Iturup serving as its primary military air base in the region. In recent months, Chinese and Russian naval warships have sailed through a strait in the Kuril islands during a joint patrol, while Russia regularly conducts military drills near the islands, drawing condemnation from Japan.