Putin Claims Disputed Kurils as Tokyo Issues Protest

Russia summoned Japan’s ambassador in Moscow and delivered a formal protest on Tuesday after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi criticised President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, officials said.

Officials said the exchange added pressure to a long-running territorial issue that has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal peace treaty to close out World War II-era hostilities.

Tokyo condemns Putin’s stop on Iturup Island Officials Tokyo condemns Putin’s stop on Iturup Island Officials linked the latest dispute to Tokyo’s response Officials linked the latest dispute to Tokyo’s response to Putin’s arrival last Thursday on Iturup Island, one of the islands claimed by both countries. In Japan, the islands are known as the “Northern Territories,” and officials said the issue remains central to Tokyo’s Russia policy. Japan described Putin’s trip as grave and unacceptable, officials said. They reiterated Japan’s long-standing position that the territory was seized by the Soviet Union in 1945 and remains disputed. Moscow rejects Japan’s framing and issues a formal protest Officials said Japan’s condemnation led Russia to call in Japan’s ambassador and lodge an official complaint. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Takaichi’s remarks breached diplomatic decency, according to officials. Officials described Russia’s protest as a signal that Officials described Russia’s protest as a signal that Moscow rejects Tokyo’s interpretation of the visit and continues to assert its own claim over the island chain. Japanese officials, they added, continue to state that the islands are disputed territory taken in 1945. Peace treaty talks remain stalled, with next steps unclear Officials said the territorial disagreement remains the principal obstacle to concluding a post-war peace treaty. They added that the latest exchange showed how quickly the issue can trigger political friction, even after periods of diplomatic outreach. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi For now, officials said, the immediate result is a sharper public and diplomatic confrontation over Iturup and the wider island chain. They also said it remains uncertain what, if any, steps could follow from either side.

Ukraine war context shapes the broader diplomatic backdrop

Officials said Russia-Japan relations have weakened further since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, creating a wider context for the Kurils dispute. Analysts said Putin’s visit also carried a strategic message to Tokyo tied to Japan’s coordination with other G7 countries on sanctions and its indirect support for Ukraine.

Officials and analysts said Japan currently exports Patriot interceptor missiles to the United States to help replenish stockpiles reduced by assistance to Kyiv. Officials also said Japan has recently eased restrictions on exporting lethal weapons while maintaining a policy that bars direct transfers to countries engaged in active conflict.

Officials said the episode reflects a hardening of positions on both sides and is widely viewed as reducing the prospects for near-term progress on territorial talks or broader normalisation between Moscow and Tokyo.