Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the Kuril Islands in the Far East region has sparked a row. The president, who visited the region for the first time, prompted a strong protest from Japan, which claims the territory.
During his visit, the Kremlin stated that Putin visited a fish-processing plant at Iturup Island.
However, this visit has sparked further tensions between Moscow and Tokyo, whose ties have worsened since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022.
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What is the row over the Kuril Islands?
Russia and Japan have been locked in a territorial dispute for decades over the southernmost Kuril Islands.
{{/usCountry}}Russia and Japan have been locked in a territorial dispute for decades over the southernmost Kuril Islands.
{{/usCountry}}The Kuril Islands are a chain of islands stretching between Japan's Hokkaido and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.
These four islands - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and Habomai - were unilaterally annexed by the Soviet Union following the Invasion of the Kuril Islands at the end of World War II. Following this, Russia also deported the island's Japanese population.
Japan continues to claim these four islands as its Northern Territories. Despite this, Russia continues to control these islands.
“The Northern Territories, including Etorofu, are Japan’s inherent territory from a historical and legal viewpoint, and Japan strongly protests the visit,” said the statement issued by Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
The dispute between Moscow and Tokyo over these islands is also a key reason a peace agreement was never signed by the two after the Second World War.
Wednesday's visit also marks Putin's first, who had made a personal pledge in 2024 to visit the islands.
During a visit to Sakhalin Island on Wednesday, the Russian president stated that Russia wasn’t threatening Japan and was ready to continue the search for a diplomatic settlement to the conflict.
Putin added that Russia's claim over the Kurils is "enshrined in international documents as a reality that emerged following World War II."
New low for Russia-Japan ties
The dispute over the Kuril Islands adds to Russia and Japan's already-strained ties. Diplomatic ties between the neighbouring nations plummeted after Japan joined in on the sanctions against Moscow following the start of the Ukraine war.
Following this, Japan was labelled as an "unfriendly country" by Moscow. Tokyo has also raised concerns about the close ties among Russia, China and North Korea.
Japan has long considered North Korea as a grave threat to its national security due to its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, as well as its history of abducting Japanese citizens.
Meanwhile, Japan continues to be in a dispute with China over the islands in the East China Sea, which Tokyo controls but Beijing claims.