Putin visits disputed Iturup Island, prompting Japan to weigh sanctions and summon Russian envoy
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Putin visits disputed Iturup Island, prompting Japan to weigh sanctions and summon Russian envoy
Putin visits disputed Kuril Islands for first time, drawing sharp Japanese protest
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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first visit as president to the disputed Iturup Island on Thursday triggered a sharp rebuke from Japan, which summoned Russia’s ambassador and vowed to consider countermeasures, including potential sanctions.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the visit “absolutely unacceptable” and reiterated Tokyo’s position that the four southern Kuril Islands—Iturup, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islet group—are “inherently Japanese territory, both historically and under international law.” Japan’s Foreign Ministry had repeatedly urged Moscow to prevent Putin’s trip, according to Takaichi’s statement on X. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also posted on Facebook that “Japan strongly protests this visit.”
The U.S. swiftly backed Japan’s stance. U.S. Ambassador to Japan George Glass said on Friday that Washington “remains unwavering in its recognition of Japanese sovereignty over the Northern Territories,” the Japanese name for the islands. Glass added that the U.S. “strongly opposes any action that undermines peace and stability” in the Indo-Pacific.
Russia dismissed the protests. The Russian embassy in Tokyo stated that the islands are “an integral part of the Russian Federation” and that Putin’s travel there was “not a matter for discussion with foreign states.” During his visit, Putin toured a fish-processing plant, a hospital and a school on Iturup, and met with Sakhalin regional governor Valery Limarenko. The islands, seized by the Soviet Union in 1945, have prevented Japan and Russia from signing a post-World War II peace treaty.
Japan’s defense white paper, released earlier this month, labeled Russia a critical threat, prompting criticism from Putin. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, suggested Putin’s visit was a response to the white paper and aimed to undermine Japan’s defense efforts.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it is evaluating further steps, with a senior official telling reporters that “we are considering what step to take going forward.” The dispute has festered since 1945, with Japan maintaining its claim despite renouncing rights to the broader Kuril chain in the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco. A 1956 joint declaration between Japan and the Soviet Union called for the handover of Shikotan and the Habomai islets after a peace treaty, but talks stalled after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Putin’s visit marked the first by a Russian president to the islands since Dmitry Medvedev in 2010. The U.N. Secretary-General’s office called the issue a bilateral matter between member states.
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