Japan protests Putin's visit to disputed Kuril Islands

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi issued a firm protest after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed island of Iturup in the Kuril chain.

Key points

• Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to the island of Iturup, known in Japan as Etorofu, following naval drills in Russia's Far Eastern Sakhalin region.
• Tokyo maintains that the southern Kuril Islands, referred to in Japan as the Northern Territories, are its original territory under historical and legal grounds.
• The territorial dispute over the islands has prevented Russia and Japan from concluding a formal World War II peace treaty.
• During the trip, Putin inspected local facilities including a fish-processing plant and met with residents.

Why it matters

The visit heightens ongoing tensions between Moscow and Tokyo over the unresolved territorial dispute, further straining diplomatic relations that have already deteriorated amid the Ukraine crisis.