Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first official visit to the disputed Kuril Islands on Thursday, drawing immediate and fierce criticism from Japan and straining diplomatic ties. The visit to Iturup Island, the largest of the four southern Kuril islands claimed by Japan, marked the first time a Russian President has set foot on the territory since Dmitry Medvedev’s visit in 2010. Putin’s trip, which included visits to a fish-processing plant, a hospital, and a school, has reignited a decades-old territorial dispute that has prevented the two nations from signing a formal peace treaty after World War II.
The Kuril Islands, a volcanic archipelago stretching about 1,200 km across the North Pacific, are governed by Russia as part of the Sakhalin region. However, Japan claims four of the islands—Iturup (Etorofu in Japanese), Kunashir (Kunashiri), Shikotan, and Habomai—as part of its northernmost prefecture, Hokkaido. Russia asserts its sovereignty based on the Yalta Agreement and the Potsdam Declaration, while Japan cites historical treaties like the Shimoda Treaty of 1855 and argues that the San Francisco Treaty of 1951 is invalid since the Soviet Union did not sign it. The lack of a peace treaty means the two countries are technically still at war.
Must Read: Jharkhand Job Aspirants March for ‘Lost Years’ Amid Police Crackdown
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sternly criticized Putin’s visit, calling it “absolutely unacceptable” and warning that it severely damages bilateral ties. “The Northern Territories are inherently Japanese territory both historically and under international law,” she stated. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi echoed the sentiment, declaring that his country “strongly protests” against the visit. The trip comes just two days before Japan’s commemoration of its World War II surrender and one day after North Korea launched a missile into the sea, further escalating tensions in the region. The visit has deepened anti-Russian sentiment in Japan and raised questions about the future of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
