U.S. backs Tokyo after Putin visits Russian-occupied Japanese island
U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass said Washington recognizes Japanese sovereignty over the islands visited by Russian leader Vladimir Putin, reaffirming U.S. support for Tokyo amid a renewed territorial dispute with Moscow. Glass remains the serving U.S. ambassador to Japan.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass affirmed Washington's backing for Japan's sovereignty over the disputed islands visited by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Glass emphasized that the U.S. stands resolute in its backing of its key ally and acknowledgment of Japan's control over the Northern Territories – a name Japan uses for the four Russian-controlled islands located at the southern end of the Kuril chain.
The Northern Territories comprise Iturup (Etorofu), Kunashir (Kunashiri), Shikotan, and the Habomai islets. Glass also highlighted that the U.S. opposes any actions that could jeopardize peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Putin's visit to Iturup on August 13 sparked a formal protest from Japan. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reiterated Japan's stance, asserting that the four Northern Territories, including Iturup, are historically and under international law rightfully Japan's.
Japan maintains a policy of resolving the status of the islands and concluding a peace treaty with Russia. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi branded Putin's visit "absolutely unacceptable," and Tokyo summoned the Russian ambassador in response. Takaichi, Japan's current prime minister, stated that the disputed territories – Iturup/Etorofu, Kunashir/Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai islets – were unlawfully seized by the Soviet Union shortly after World War II.
Russia contends that its control over the islands is lawful. The longstanding territorial dispute has hindered Japan and Russia from signing a formal peace treaty following the conclusion of World War II. Putin's journey marked his first visit to the disputed islands during more than two decades in office. In 2010, then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was the first Russian head of state to visit the contested territories, traveling to Kunashir.
Medvedev issued threats against Japan on August 13, describing the Kuril Islands as "Russian lands." "Anyone incapable of understanding this will face the terrible consequences of their illusions," Medvedev had said.
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