Russia's Putin visits Japan-claimed islands for first time; Tokyo protests
- On Thursday, August 13, 2026, President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup Island in the Kuril chain, touring a fish-processing plant after overseeing Pacific Fleet naval exercises near Sakhalin Island.
- The Kuril Islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories, have been disputed since the Soviet Union seized the archipelago in 1945 and deported about 17,000 Japanese residents, preventing a formal peace treaty.
- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters the visit "offends the sentiments of the Japanese people and is absolutely unacceptable," while Tokyo summoned the Russian ambassador to lodge a formal protest.
- Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, responded by stating the islands "were, are, and will remain Russian land," dismissing Tokyo's claims and warning of "monstrous consequences" for questioning Moscow's sovereignty.
- Serving as a strategic buffer housing Bastion coastal missile systems for Russian nuclear submarine bases, the islands remain a flashpoint with bilateral ties frozen since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and Japan coordinating G7 sanctions.
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287 Articles
The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected Japan's protest regarding Putin's visit to the island.
Japan protests Putin's visit to disputed island
TOKYO (Jiji Press) -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to one of the four northwestern Pacific islands claimed by Tokyo but controlled by Moscow.Putin's visit to Etorofu, one of the islands Japan calls the Northern Territories, is "incompatible with Japan's consistent position and is absolutely unacceptable," Takaichi told reporters at her official residence.She said Tokyo "str…
Russia rejects Japan's sovereignty claims over Southern Kuril Islands
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said Thursday that the Southern Kuril Islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, "have been, are and will remain Russian territory."
Tokyo goes back to the 17th century, but Russians generally place their sovereignty in the last days of World War II, when Soviet troops occupied the islands after Japan’s surrender in 1945. “This hurts the feelings of the Japanese people and is absolutely unacceptable,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a televised statement. “We hope that the Russian side will take the seriousness of this issue very seriously,” she added.
Putin Visits Islands Seized From Japan in World War II, Angering Tokyo
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan has been a public critic of Mr. Putin, who has denounced her country’s sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war. Source link : https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/world/asia/putin-visit-islands-japan-russia.html Author : Javier C. Hernández and Paul Sonne Publish date : 2026-08-13 22:38:00 Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
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