Putin Visits Disputed Kuril Island as Japan Reasserts Territorial Claim

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Tokyo: Russian President Vladimir Putin has paid a visit to Iturup, one of Japan's four southern Kuril Islands, triggering a strong diplomatic protest from Japan. According to Russian state media, this was Putin's first visit to the Kuril Islands.

During his visit, Putin visited the Yasny fish processing plant, talked with locals, and sampled fish roe. The visit occurred just after Russia conducted large naval drills in the region, which added a strategic dimension to the mission.

Japan's Foreign Minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, strongly opposed the visit, claiming that the Northern Territories, including Iturup (Etorofu), are historically and legally Japan's. Tokyo formally criticised the Russian leader's visit on the islands.

The controversy extends far back to the final moments of World War II, when Soviet forces seized possession of the islands. Japan claims Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and the Habomai Islands, collectively known as the Northern Territories, but Russia administers them as part of its Far Eastern territory.

The geographical disagreement has kept Russia and Japan from signing a formal postwar peace treaty. Relations have deteriorated in recent years, particularly since Japan accepted Western sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

Putin's visit comes with rising security tensions in the region, following Russian military exercises near the disputed islands and a recent North Korean ballistic missile launch. The events are expected to worsen already tense Russia-Japan relations.