Russian President Vladimir Putin has made his first-ever visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, drawing immediate condemnation from Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, who called the trip “absolutely unacceptable.”
In a post on X on Thursday, Takaichi said Tokyo had “repeatedly requested the Russian side to ensure that the president does not visit the Northern Territories” — Japan’s name for the island chain. She insisted the islands are “inherently Japanese territory.”
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also voiced protest, writing on Facebook that “Japan strongly protests this visit.”
During the trip, Putin visited Iturup, the largest of the disputed islands, where Russia operates a strategically important military base. According to reports, the Russian leader toured a fish processing complex, a hospital, and a school before meeting with Valery Limarenko, the regional governor of Sakhalin.
A dispute dating to World War II
The Kuril Islands stretch between Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan’s Hokkaido, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean. The four southernmost islands of the chain were seized by the Soviet Union near the end of World War II.
Although Japan renounced its claim to the Kuril Islands in the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco, it did not recognize Soviet sovereignty over the territory. The dispute has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from signing a formal peace treaty, though a 1956 joint declaration did end the state of war between the two nations.
Tokyo maintains that the islands remain under “illegal occupation,” a phrase reiterated in Japan’s latest defense white paper, published earlier this month. That document identified Russia as one of Japan’s critical threats — a move that drew sharp criticism from both Putin and Russia’s ally, North Korea.
Analysts see link to defense white paper
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Putin’s visit was likely part of the Kremlin’s response to Japan’s defense white paper. They suggested the trip aims to undermine Takaichi’s efforts to strengthen Japan’s defense capabilities.
The timing of the visit — days after the white paper’s release — appears deliberate, with the Russian leader using the symbolic site to signal Moscow’s displeasure with Tokyo’s shifting security posture.
Motegi’s protest echoed the prime minister’s remarks, but neither official indicated any immediate escalation beyond diplomatic channels. The visit marks a new chapter in the long-running territorial dispute, which remains one of the most sensitive issues in Japan-Russia relations.
Source: www.cnbc.com — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/14/putin-kuril-islands-japan.html
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Do your own research and consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions.
