푸틴, ‘영유권 분쟁’ 쿠릴열도 첫 방문…다카이치 “절대 용납 못해”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed strong opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the Kuril Islands, a disputed territory in the Russian Far East, on March 13th. This marked Putin's first visit to the region during his 22-year tenure. Kishida emphasized that the Kuril Islands are historically and internationally recognized as Japanese territory.

He stated that Putin's visit to Etorofu Island disregarded Japan's consistent position and caused emotional distress to the Japanese people. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono conveyed strong protests to Russian Ambassador Nikolai Nosyadrev. Kremlin announced that Putin visited the Kuril Islands to inspect and receive reports from the Russian Pacific Fleet.

He also toured the Aysnya fish-processing plant, school, and hospital on Etorofu Island. During his visit, Putin engaged in casual conversations with local residents about the size of salmon eggs and how they were caught. Putin, who has been in power since 2000, has never before visited the region directly since taking office. The Russian Far East was conquered by the Soviet Union from Japan in 1945, and Russian forces have effectively governed the territory for over 80 years.

Japan has long argued that while it lost territorial rights after World War II, the four Kuril Islands were excluded. Kishida's statement comes after Russia's recent criticism of Japan's economic sanctions against Russia following the Ukraine war. Putin also criticized Japan for its unilateral sanctions during his visit to Yakutsk, Russia's Russian Far East region.

The Japanese government acknowledges Putin's card to pressure Japan's continued economic sanctions, and Kishida expressed concern that Putin's visit might make it harder to restore bilateral relations long-term. Kishida stated that Japan has done its best to maintain relations with Russia despite difficulties.