Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup, one of the Kuril Islands at the center of a long-standing territorial dispute with Japan, on August 13, drawing strong condemnation from Tokyo and a sharp rebuke from Moscow.

The island, known in Russia as Iturup and in Japan as Etorofu, is one of four in the Kuril chain seized by Moscow in the days after Japan's surrender in World War Two. Tokyo has maintained its claim to them, making their return a condition for concluding a formal peace treaty that would unlock closer economic ties.

Tokyo's Protest and Moscow's Response

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the visit "hurts the feelings of the Japanese people and is absolutely unacceptable," adding, "We hope that the Russian side will take the seriousness of this matter fully to heart." Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi lodged a "strong protest" with Moscow over the trip, emphasizing that the "Northern Territories," as Tokyo refers to the southern part of the Kuril Islands, including Iturup, are "historically and legally Japanese territory."

Japan's Foreign Ministry summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev to hear a formal protest. Nozdrev called Japan's reaction an unfounded diplomatic move and explained that the Southern Kuril Islands are an integral part of Russia. The Russian embassy in Tokyo said the islands are an integral part of Russia and that Putin's travels within Russia are not a subject for foreign states.

Within hours, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Takaichi's comments, saying they "cause extreme outrage and are absolutely unacceptable." Zakharova, quoted by Russian news agencies, said Iturup was "legally, like all the Kurils, an integral part of our country" and that Japanese officials had "gone so far as to brazenly dictate to Moscow which regions of a country its leader can or cannot visit."

A Dispute Rooted in World War II

Moscow and Tokyo have been negotiating a peace treaty based on the outcome of World War II since the mid-20th century. The main obstacle to such an accord remains the disagreement over rights to the southern part of the Kuril Islands. After the war, the entire archipelago was incorporated into the Soviet Union. The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly stressed that Russia's sovereignty over the Southern Kuril Islands is based on a firm legal foundation and is indisputable.

Putin's visit came two days before Japan marked 81 years since its surrender ended World War Two, and a day after North Korea fired a missile into the sea separating it from Japan ahead of major joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington.

The Visit and Its Context

Putin visited a school, a hospital, and a fish-processing plant on what state news agency TASS said was his first trip to the disputed island chain. "What lovely weather you have there, just like a resort!" Putin told residents in a video clip published by the Kremlin.

Former President Dmitry Medvedev was the first Russian leader to visit the Kuril Islands, in 2010. He also visited in 2012, 2015, and 2019 as prime minister. In 2021, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited Iturup.

Putin's trip instantly became the most discussed topic on Japanese social media, including the Japanese segment of X, and the top news story on all local media websites, according to TASS.

A Broader Rift

Ties between Moscow and Tokyo soured after Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Japan joined other nations in condemning the attack and imposing sanctions on Russia.

In a separate development, Nozdrev and Chinese ambassador Wu Jianghao issued a joint statement opposing attempts to revise the results of World War Two and warning against re-militarisation in the Asia-Pacific.

Medvedev posted on X that the islands "were, are, and will remain Russian land."

Perspectives

Japan: Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the visit "absolutely unacceptable," saying it "hurts the feelings of the Japanese people." Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi lodged a "strong protest," and the Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to hear a formal complaint.

Russia: Russian officials, including Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev, rejected Japan's protest, asserting that the islands are an integral part of Russia and that Putin's travels within the country are not subject to foreign approval. The Strategic Culture news outlet went further, accusing Tokyo of having "the blood of Russian civilians on its hands" for supporting the "Kiev regime."