Japan condemns Putin’s visit to disputed islands

Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first visit to the Kuril Islands on Thursday, a Moscow-controlled archipelago also claimed by Japan. The visit took place on Iturup, one of the southern islands in the volcanic chain. During his trip, Putin toured a fish plant, a hospital, and a school, as well as interacting with local residents and meeting with the governor of Russia's Sakhalin region, Valery Limarenko.

Japan asserts territorial rights to the four southernmost islands, which it calls the Northern Territories. The Kuril Islands dispute has persisted since the end of World War II, when the Soviet Union took control of them from Japan. Despite decades of diplomatic efforts, no visible resolution has been reached. Russia has also increased its military presence on the Kuril Islands over the years, signaling its firm stance in the dispute.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi strongly protested Putin's visit, stating that the Northern Territories are Japan's inherent territory from both historical and international law perspectives. He summoned the Russian Ambassador to Tokyo and requested a prompt report back to Moscow. The Russian Embassy in Japan called Japan's protest "unfounded," asserting that the southern Kuril Islands are an integral part of the Russian Federation, acquired following World War II under legitimate international grounds.