Japan has strongly condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, marking the first time the Russian leader has travelled to the contested island chain.
Russian state media reported that Putin visited Iturup, known as Etorofu in Japan, one of four southern Kuril Islands claimed by both Russia and Japan. The islands remain a longstanding source of tension between the two countries.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the islands are considered Japanese territory both historically and under international law. He said Tokyo had issued a strong protest over Putin’s visit.
The territorial dispute has continued for decades and remains a major obstacle to relations between Moscow and Tokyo. The disagreement is also one of the key reasons Russia and Japan never formally concluded a peace treaty following World War II.
Located between Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuril chain was annexed by the Soviet Union towards the end of World War II. Japan claims the four southernmost islands, which it refers to as the Northern Territories, while they are currently administered by Russia. Around 17,000 Japanese residents were reportedly deported following the Soviet takeover.
During his visit, Putin was reported to have sampled fish roe and spoken with local residents. His appearance on the disputed territory is likely to add further strain to already tense relations between the two countries.
Efforts to settle the territorial disagreement have repeatedly failed to produce a lasting resolution. Relations have also deteriorated further since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Japan joining international efforts to impose sanctions on Moscow.
Tokyo has previously protested visits by senior Russian officials to the disputed islands. Among those who have travelled there are Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his predecessor, Dmitry Medvedev.
The Kuril Islands are also strategically important to Russia. Moscow has significantly expanded its military presence in the area over the past decade, with Iturup serving as the location of its main military air base in the region.
Tensions over the islands have continued to grow alongside increased military activity. Last month, Chinese and Russian naval vessels passed through a strait in the Kuril chain during a joint patrol, while Russia regularly conducts military exercises near the disputed territory — activities that have repeatedly drawn condemnation from Japan.
