Putin visits Kuril islands claimed by Japan
Russian-Japanese relations have long been dogged by tensions over the contested islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and seized by the Soviet Union in 1945.
Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to the disputed Kuril islands, a territory claimed by both Russia and Japan. The islands, located in the far-eastern part of Russia, were seized by the Soviet Union in 1945 and have been under its control since the end of World War II. Putin inspected the flagship of Russia's Pacific fleet, the TASS news agency reported.
The visit is likely to exacerbate tensions with Japan, which also lays claim to the islands known as the Northern Territories in Japan. The islands were part of the volcanic Kuril archipelago, stretching from Russia's Kamchatka peninsula to Japan's Hokkaido island. They have a population of around 20,000 Russian citizens and are known for their mineral deposits and rich fishing grounds.
After the islands were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, their Japanese population of around 17,000 was deported. Despite numerous attempts, no progress has been made in resolving the territorial dispute between the two countries.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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