Japan Is Preparing A Strong Response To Putin Over His Visit To The Kuril Islands
- 14.08.2026, 8:43
Iturup Island has long been a disputed territory.
Tokyo plans to consider retaliatory measures in response to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s visit to one of the islands of the Kuril Archipelago, which is a disputed territory between Japan and Russia.
This was reported by NNK.
Tokyo is considering that one possible measure in response to Putin’s trip could be tightening sanctions against Russia. The publication notes that Japan has already imposed restrictions on Moscow alongside its international partners in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
NNK notes that Japan refers to four islands as the Northern Territories. Tokyo considers them an integral part of its territory and asserts that they were illegally occupied by Russia after World War II.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that Putin’s visit to Iturup contradicts the Japanese government’s position. According to her, the islands “are an integral part of Japan’s territory, given the historical facts and international law.”
She also emphasized that the Russian dictator’s visit “harms public sentiment among the Japanese people and is absolutely unacceptable.”
Takaichi noted that Putin’s trip could complicate the normalization of relations between Japan and Russia in the medium and long term.
Japan summoned the Russian ambassador
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned Russian Ambassador to Tokyo Nikolai Nozdrev to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, Motegi lodged a strong protest over Putin’s visit. He stated that the Russian president’s unilateral trip would have an extremely negative impact on bilateral relations.
The Japanese minister asked the Russian ambassador to immediately convey this position to the Russian government.
Territorial Dispute
In 2022, Russia announced the suspension of negotiations with Japan on a peace treaty after Tokyo imposed sanctions against Moscow due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The negotiations also addressed the territorial issue regarding the disputed islands.
At the same time, the Japanese government continues to maintain contact with Russia, despite the war against Ukraine. Last month, Motegi had a brief conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Philippines.
Analysts expect the already tense relations between Japan and Russia to deteriorate further.
As a reminder, on August 13, Putin visited Iturup Island, which Japan considers its territory. This sparked outrage among the international community and Ukraine in particular.