Russia Summons Japanese Ambassador After Tokyo Protests Putin’s Kuril Islands Visit

Moscow summoned Japan's ambassador on Monday following Tokyo's condemnation of President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to Russia's Kuril Islands, a territory also claimed by Japan. The disputed islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, were seized by the Soviet Union in 1945, leading to long-standing tensions between the two nations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the islands after a trip to the nearby Russian island of Sakhalin, prompting Japan to summon Russia's ambassador in protest. In response, Moscow summoned Japan's envoy Akira Muto. Japanese officials were deemed to have "crossed the line of decency" by criticizing Putin's trip, stated Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Lavrov informed reporters that Tokyo had initially informed them that Muto could not attend immediately, either because he was not in Moscow or unwell. However, Moscow later learned that Muto had "suddenly started feeling better" and would attend on Tuesday. Lavrov emphasized that the ambassador's summons aimed to address the conduct of the Japanese leadership and the proper behavior of ambassadors in the host country.

Relations between Japan and Russia have deteriorated since the full-scale conflict in Ukraine began in 2022, with Japan joining other G7 countries in sanctioning Russia and providing Kyiv with financial assistance and non-lethal defense aid.