Japan’s Prime Minister Calls Putin’s Kuril Islands Visit ‘Absolutely Unacceptable’
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has expressed strong disapproval of Vladimir Putin’s visit to the disputed Kuril islands, deeming it absolutely unacceptable and reaffirming Japan’s claim over the territory.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has expressed strong disapproval of Vladimir Putin’s visit as President of Russia to the disputed Kuril islands, labeling it as “absolutely unacceptable.”
Russian state media reported that Putin visited Iturup, referred to as Etorofu in Japan, on Thursday. It is one of four islands in the Kuril chain that both Russia and Japan claim.
Putin’s trip “has worsened Japanese sentiment toward Russia,” Takaichi informed reporters, asserting that the island chain was “a unique territory of [Japan] historically and under international law.”
Speaking from the prime minister’s office on Thursday, Takaichi stated that Putin’s visit “wounds the feelings of the Japanese people” and is “incompatible with Japan’s consistent position on the Northern Territories.”
“I trust that the Russian side will regard the seriousness of this matter with the utmost attention,” she stated.
On Thursday, Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated that the islands are “inherently Japanese territory both historically and under international law, and the Government of Japan strongly protests this visit.”
The nations have been involved in a longstanding territorial dispute over the Kuril islands for decades. The disagreement is the primary reason that Moscow and Tokyo did not finalize a peace treaty following World War Two.
The Kuril Islands are situated between Hokkaido in northern Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia. Japan asserts ownership of the four southernmost islands, referred to as the Northern Territories. They are administered by Russia.
Following the conclusion of World War Two, the Soviet Union took control of the island chain and expelled approximately 17,000 Japanese inhabitants.
During his visit, according to reports from Russian state media, Putin tasted fish roe and engaged in conversation with island residents.
Efforts to address the territorial dispute have seen minimal advancement over the years. Relations have continued to be tense, as Japan has implemented sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Japan has expressed its objections to prior visits by high-ranking Russian officials to the contested islands, such as former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The Kuril islands hold significant strategic value for Russia, leading to an increased military presence in the region over the past decade. Iturup serves as Russia’s primary military air base in the area.
Last month, naval warships from China and Russia conducted a joint patrol, sailing through a strait in the Kuril Islands.
Russia conducts regular military exercises near the islands, which has led to protests from Japan.
