Japan PM Slams Putin's Kuril Islands Visit as Unacceptable
Tokyo lodges formal protest after Vladimir Putin visits disputed Kuril Islands in a move Japan's PM Takaichi called 'absolutely unacceptable.'
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sharply condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's first-ever visit to the disputed Kuril Islands on Wednesday, calling the trip 'absolutely unacceptable' and lodging a formal diplomatic protest with Moscow. The move marks a fresh flashpoint in one of Asia's longest-running territorial disputes.
The Kuril Islands — a chain stretching northeast of Hokkaido — have been administered by Russia since the end of World War II, but Japan claims sovereignty over four of the southernmost islands, which it calls the Northern Territories. The dispute has prevented the two nations from signing a formal peace treaty for nearly eight decades.
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Putin's decision to make a personal appearance on the islands carries significant symbolic weight, effectively signaling that Moscow has no intention of softening its stance on the territory amid already strained Russia-Japan relations. Tokyo has been navigating its relationship with Moscow carefully since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, balancing Western alliance commitments with longstanding bilateral disputes.
Takaichi's forceful language reflects the political sensitivity of the Kuril question within Japan, where any perceived concession on the islands draws intense domestic scrutiny. By publicly labeling Putin's visit unacceptable, Tokyo is drawing a clear red line — even as diplomatic options to push back remain limited given the current geopolitical climate.
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