Putin visits disputed Kuril Islands for first time, drawing sharp Japanese protest

30 articles·24 sources·updated about 1 hour ago·View in graph

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Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands for the first time on Thursday, prompting a strong protest from Japan, which also claims the territory. The islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, were seized by the Soviet Union in 1945 and have remained a point of contention between Moscow and Tokyo, preventing the two countries from signing a formal World War II peace treaty.

Putin traveled to Iturup, the southernmost of the four contested islands near Japan’s Hokkaido, after overseeing Russian naval drills on the nearby island of Sakhalin. State news agency TASS reported the visit, describing it as Putin’s first in-person trip to the archipelago. While there, he toured the Yasny fish-processing plant, where images showed him examining large tuna and halibut and sampling local fish roe. “What lovely weather you have there, just like a resort!” Putin remarked to locals, according to Vesti TV footage .

Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi condemned the visit, stating that the Northern Territories, including Etorofu (Iturup), are “an inherent part of Japan’s territory both historically and under international law.” Motegi added that Tokyo “strongly protests this visit” . The Soviet Union took control of the strategically located volcanic archipelago in the final days of World War II, and Russia has maintained a military presence there since.

The visit came a day after North Korea, a Russian ally, conducted major naval drills and test-fired a ballistic missile toward waters off the Korean Peninsula. Russia’s relations with Japan have deteriorated further since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while ties with China and North Korea have strengthened .

The four contested islands—Kunashir, Habomai, Shikotan and Iturup in Russian, or Kunashiri, Habomai, Shikotan and Etorofu in Japanese—are part of the broader Kuril chain, which stretches from Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula to Japan’s Hokkaido. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev first visited the disputed territory in 2010 and returned several times as prime minister .

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Putin visits disputed Kuril islands sparking Japanese protest Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the far-eastern Kuril islands near Japans northernmost Hokkaido island for the first time on Thursday. Tokyo issued a strong protest in response to the Russian leaders visit to the disputed territory claimed by Japan that was seized by the Soviet Union in 1945. 👉 Read more:

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Putin visits the far-eastern Kuril islands for the first time, prompting a strong protest by Japan, which also claims the territory. Russian-Japanese relations have long been dogged by tensions over the contested islands u.afp.com/SHhh

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⚡️🇷🇺🇯🇵 – Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands, claimed by Japan, sparking a protest by Japanese diplomats. Toshimitsu Motegi, Japans Foreign Minister, said the Kuril Islands are "inherently Japanese territory both historically and under international law". @GeoPWatch

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