Putin visits Kuril islands claimed by Japan for first time

Russian President Vladimir Putin ventured to the Kuril islands for the first time on June 13, 2023, triggering a vehement protest from Japan, which also lays claim to these disputed territories. The Kuril Islands, located to the east of Russia, are known as the Northern Territories in Japan. Tensions between the two nations have historically surrounded the islands, which were annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945 following Japan's surrender in World War II.

Russian media reported that Putin visited a fish-processing facility on the Kurils, where he was presented with caviar.

Putin's visit came after a tour of the nearby Russian island of Sakhalin, where Russian naval vessels were conducting drills. In Sakhalin, Putin engaged in discussions aimed at enhancing the security of Russia's eastern borders, as reported by RIA Novosti.

Japan, whose relations with Russia have deteriorated since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, strongly objected to Putin's visit. The Northern Territories are an integral part of Japan's territory both historically and under international law, according to Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. The Soviet Union seized the strategically located volcanic archipelago during the final stages of World War II, and it has maintained a military presence there ever since.

The Soviet Union declared war on Japan on August 8, 1945, following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and just six days before the end of the war. The islands' names are identical in both countries - Kunashir, Habomai, Shikotan, and Iturup in Russian, and Kunashiri, Habomai, Shikotan, and Etorofu in Japanese. The islands' population, consisting of approximately 20,000 Russian citizens, endures a challenging climate.

Despite the islands' mineral wealth, including gold and silver, and abundant fishing grounds, they have strategic importance due to their historical role in Cold War military operations.

After the islands were occupied by the Soviet Union in 1945, they deported the islands' Japanese population, estimated at around 17,000 people. Subsequently, the islands gained strategic significance during the Cold War, serving as air and sea bases amid the geopolitical rivalry between the Soviet Union and its Pacific ally, Japan.

Although diplomatic talks between Tokyo and Moscow occasionally showed progress, notably with Nikita Khrushchev proposing the return of two disputed islands in 1956, no substantial advancements have been made.