Japan PM says Putin’s visit to disputed islands ‘absolutely unacceptable’

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan has denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the disputed Kuril islands as "absolutely unacceptable". The visit, which took place on Thursday, saw Putin travel to Iturup, also known as Etorofu, one of four islands in the Kuril chain that are disputed between Russia and Japan. Takaichi's comments came as Russian state media reported on the trip, stating that Putin had sampled local fish roe and spoken with residents of the islands.

Takaichi's criticism of the visit comes as the two nations continue to be locked in a long-standing territorial dispute over the Kuril islands, a matter that has prevented the signing of a peace treaty between Russia and Japan since the end of World War Two. The islands, which sit between Hokkaido in northern Japan and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, are claimed by Japan as the Northern Territories, while Russia administers them.

After the war, the Soviet Union annexed the island chain and forcibly relocated approximately 17,000 Japanese inhabitants.

In her statement from the prime minister's office, Takaichi emphasized that Putin's visit "wounds the feelings of the Japanese people" and is "incompatible with Japan's consistent position on the Northern Territories." She further urged the Russian government to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. Japan's Foreign Minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, had previously echoed the same sentiment, asserting that the islands are "inherently Japanese territory both historically and under international law, and the Government of Japan strongly protests this visit."

The territorial dispute over the Kuril islands has historically been a significant point of contention between Japan and Russia, and bilateral relations have remained strained as a result. In recent years, the dispute has further escalated due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, leading to the imposition of sanctions against Russia by Japan and other countries.

Despite previous attempts to resolve the territorial dispute, progress has been limited, and Japan has consistently protested against previous visits by Russian officials to the islands, including those made by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev.