Russia summons Japan’s ambassador over disputed islands row

Russian ambassador to Japan was summoned on Monday in response to Tokyo's criticism of President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, which Japan claims as its Northern Territories. The Kuril Islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, were seized by the Soviet Union in 1945. Japan's accusation came after Putin visited the Russian island of Sakhalin nearby, leading to Japan's decision to summon Russia's ambassador in response.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Japan's remarks were unacceptable and that they had summoned the Japanese envoy, Akira Muto, to address the issue. However, Lavrov later mentioned that Muto had felt better and would attend the meeting on Tuesday. Russian-M Japanese relations have been tense since the start of the full-scale conflict in Ukraine in 2022, with Japan joining other G7 countries in imposing sanctions on Russia and providing non-lethal defense aid to Ukraine.