Russia’s Putin makes first visit to Kuril Islands claimed by Japan
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the far-eastern Kuril Islands for the first time on Thursday, prompting a “strong” protest by Japan which also claims the territory. 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. The Kremlin posted a video of Putin in the Kuril…
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to the Kuril Islands, a territory claimed by both Russia and Japan. This move prompted a "strong" protest from Japan, which also lays claim to the islands known in Japan as the Northern Territories. The Kuril Islands, located between Russia's Kamchatka peninsula and Japan's Hokkaido island, have been a source of tension between the two nations since the Soviet Union took control of them from Japan at the end of World War II in 1945.
Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi strongly objected to Putin's visit, stating that the Northern Territories are an inherent part of Japan's territory both historically and under international law. The Soviet Union maintained a military presence on the islands ever since their occupation.
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