Japan protests Vladimir Putin's visit to the Kuril Islands

Russian President Vladimir Putin conducted his first official visit to the Kuril Islands on August 13, 2026, marking a significant development in the long-standing territorial dispute between Russia and Japan. During his trip, Putin visited the island of Iturup, where he toured the Yasny fish processing plant, and inspected the Varyag, a Slava-class cruiser serving as the flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, after previously stopping in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin Island.

The Japanese government issued a strong protest in response to the visit. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi characterized the trip as unacceptable and an insult to the Japanese people. Tokyo maintains that the southern Kuril Islands, which it refers to as the Northern Territories, are an integral part of its sovereign territory based on historical and international law. This visit has exacerbated diplomatic tensions between the two nations, who have been locked in a decades-long sovereignty disagreement over the archipelago.

While the Russian side emphasizes its control and development of the islands, Japan continues to formally claim the territory. There are no immediate signs of a resolution to the conflict, as both governments remain firm in their respective stances regarding the sovereign status of the disputed region.