Russia summons Japan ambassador over disputed islands row

Russia has summoned Japan's ambassador, Akira Muto, after Tokyo condemned President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the disputed Kuril Islands. The islands, also claimed by Japan and known as the Northern Territories, were seized by the Soviet Union in 1945.

The visit prompted Japan to protest, and Russia retaliated by summoning Muto. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Japanese officials "crossed the line of decency" in criticising Putin's trip.

Ties between Japan and Russia have worsened since the conflict in Ukraine began in 2022. The summons was intended to address the conduct of the Japanese leadership, Lavrov said.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch, South China Morning Post — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.