International Desk:
Tensions between Tokyo and Moscow have escalated after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited one of four disputed islands claimed by both nations. The Japanese government issued an immediate and formal protest, condemning the move as an unacceptable infringement on its territorial sovereignty.
According to Russian state media, President Putin visited the island of Iturup—known in Japan as Etorofu. During his stay, the Russian leader toured local facilities, inspected regional developments, and met with residents living on the island.
Responding swiftly to the visit, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reaffirmed Tokyo’s longstanding position. “These islands are inherently Japanese territory, both historically and under international law. The Government of Japan strongly protests this visit,” Motegi stated during a news briefing.
The contested Kuril island chain stretches between Hokkaido in northern Japan and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. Near the conclusion of World War II, Soviet forces annexed the entire archipelago and expelled approximately 17,000 Japanese residents.
Japan claims sovereignty over the four southernmost islands, referring to them as its “Northern Territories,” while Russia administers them as part of its Sakhalin region. This unresolvable territorial rift remains the primary reason Moscow and Tokyo have never signed a formal peace treaty to officially end World War II hostilities.
The islands hold immense strategic and defense significance for Moscow. Iturup serves as Russia’s primary military airbase in the immediate region, hosting advanced air and naval capabilities.
Regional military maneuvers near the islands have repeatedly drawn sharp criticism from Japan. Last year, Russia conducted extensive military exercises in the area, and more recently, a joint naval patrol involving Russian and Chinese warships navigated through a narrow strait within the Kuril chain, further heightening geopolitical concerns across East Asia.