Putin Visits Disputed Kuril Islands for First Time as Russia-Japan Tensions Deepen

On Thursday, August 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first-ever visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, escalating tensions between Russia and Japan as their relationship remains tense due to Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine. The trip took Putin to Iturup, one of four Russian-controlled islands that Japan also claims as its own.

Following a tour of the Yasny fish-processing plant and tasting locally made roe, Putin reaffirmed Russia's stance on the islands during a military drill in Russia's Sakhalin region. This visit follows a day when Putin inspected the Pacific Fleet's flagship missile cruiser Varyag, explicitly rejecting Japan's territorial claims over the islands.

The Kuril Islands have been under Russian control since the end of World War II, while Japan maintains they are Japanese territory. This territorial dispute has hindered Moscow and Tokyo from signing a peace treaty, formally concluding their World War II relationship. Relations between the two nations deteriorated significantly following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Japan, in solidarity with Ukraine, joined Western sanctions against Moscow, leading Russia to withdraw from peace treaty talks and suspend joint economic projects involving the contested islands. In February, Kremlin spokespersons stated that no peace dialogue with Japan was underway and described bilateral relations as drastically reduced due to Japan's "unfriendly" policies.

Conversely, Japan has remained a staunch supporter of Ukraine, participating in G7 measures aimed at limiting Russia's access to finance and technology.