Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Japanese ambassador on Tuesday to formally object to Tokyo’s condemnation of President Vladimir Putin’s trip to the Kuril Islands, a Pacific archipelago controlled by Moscow that is claimed by both nations.
Last week, Putin visited Iturup, one of the four southernmost islands in the chain, which Japan refers to as the Northern Territories. The Soviet Union acquired these territories from Japan near the end of World War II, and this dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty that would formally conclude their hostilities.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that Putin's visit, his first to the islands, was "incompatible with the Japanese position on the Northern Territories" and deemed it "absolutely unacceptable." She added that the visit represented another setback for already strained relations between the two countries over Ukraine, warning Moscow about the potential consequences.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi announced that Tokyo "strongly protests" Putin's visit to Iturup, which Japan calls Etorofu, emphasizing that "the Northern Territories, including Etorofu Island, are Japan’s inherent territory both historically and from the perspective of international law."
On Tuesday, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin met with Japanese Ambassador Akira Muto to lodge a formal protest regarding the "anti-Russia" statements made by Takaichi and Motegi.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Galuzin told Muto that "Russia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the southern Kuril Islands are absolutely unshakable."
The ministry further stated that these territories were transferred to Russia as a result of World War II, an arrangement enshrined in relevant agreements of the Allied Powers and the U.N. Charter. It added that "Any attempts by the Japanese side to directly or indirectly call this obvious reality into question are absolutely unacceptable and unlawful."
Galuzin informed the ambassador that given Tokyo's adherence to Western sanctions against Russia and its support for Ukraine, "Moscow reserves the right to take appropriate countermeasures."
Decades of diplomatic efforts aimed at negotiating a settlement have yielded no visible results. Moscow has also increased its military presence on the Kurils over the years in actions interpreted as reinforcing its firm stance on the dispute.
Speaking last week aboard a Russian warship participating in Pacific drills, Putin mentioned that Moscow had previously "developed constructive relations with a number of Japanese leaders, including the tragically deceased former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who did much to bring Japan and Russia closer together, to align our positions."
He noted that this relationship shifted after Japan imposed sanctions on Russia following its troop deployment into Ukraine in February 2022, which "listed Russia as a source of primary threats," marking a change from the constructive relationship.
Putin concluded by stating that Russia remains ready "to cooperate with all its neighbors, including Japan and other states in the region."