TOKYO — Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril island of Iturup on Thursday, prompting a strong protest from Japan and underscoring tensions between Moscow and Tokyo over the territory.
Putin visited a fish-processing plant, hospital and school on Iturup, known as Etorofu in Japan, and met Sakhalin regional Governor Valery Limarenko, according to Russian state media. It was his first visit to the disputed island chain, the Kremlin said.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tokyo “strongly protests” the visit and summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev to the Foreign Ministry. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the trip as “absolutely unacceptable” and incompatible with Japan’s position on the Northern Territories.
Russia rejected Japan’s protest. The Russian Embassy in Tokyo said the southern Kuril Islands were an integral part of Russia and that Putin’s travel within Russian territory was a sovereign decision.
Japan claims the four southernmost Kuril islands, which were seized by the Soviet Union in the final days of World War Two. The territorial dispute has prevented Russia and Japan from concluding a formal peace treaty since the war.
The visit came after Putin attended Russian Pacific Fleet exercises near Sakhalin. Relations between Moscow and Tokyo have deteriorated further since Japan imposed sanctions on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The latest diplomatic exchange leaves the territorial dispute unresolved, with both governments maintaining their opposing positions.
