Putin Visited Iturup: Japan Called the Visit Unacceptable
Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia—the aggressor state—visited Iturup Island in the Kuril Islands, which Japan claims as its own. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the trip completely unacceptable and stated that the islands, which Tokyo refers to as the Northern Territories, are Japanese territory.
In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the islands are an integral part of Russia. On Iturup, Putin visited a school, a hospital, and industrial facilities. The trip took place two days before the 81st anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.
According to Deutsche Welle English, this was Putin’s first visit to one of the disputed Kuril Islands. James Brown, a professor of international relations at Temple University’s Tokyo campus, believes the trip was a signal to Japan. He said that Moscow is irritated by Tokyo’s support for Ukraine and Japan’s strengthening ties with European NATO members. The expert also suggested that the visit could bolster patriotic support within Russia.
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Soviet troops seized the Kuril Islands two weeks after Japan’s official surrender on August 15, 1945. Over the course of the following year, 17,300 Japanese residents were forced to leave the islands. The territorial dispute complicates bilateral relations, and Japan and Russia have yet to sign a formal peace treaty.
Toshimitsu Shigemura, a professor of politics at Waseda University, stated that Tokyo had already summoned the Russian ambassador and lodged an official diplomatic protest. In his view, it will be difficult for Japan to impose additional sanctions, as restrictions against Russia are already in place due to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He also noted that Japan imports Russian energy resources.
In 2020, Russia amended its constitution to include a provision prohibiting the transfer of any part of its territory to another state. Brown and Shigemura believe that, under current conditions, the return of the islands to Japanese control is unlikely.
