Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to the disputed Kuril Islands on Thursday, his first-ever trip there, prompting Japan to file a formal protest over what it considers its own territory.
Putin stopped on Iturup — called Etorofu in Japan — after observing Pacific Fleet naval exercises near Sakhalin. During the visit he toured a fish-processing facility, met briefly with residents, and was joined by the regional governor of Sakhalin. Russian state media described it as the first time a sitting Russian president had set foot on the island chain in person.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi objected sharply, reaffirming that Tokyo regards the islands — which it calls the Northern Territories — as rightfully Japanese under both history and international law, and said the visit was unacceptable.
The four southern islands in the chain were taken by Soviet forces at the close of World War Two. Their status remains unresolved and has blocked Moscow and Tokyo from concluding a formal peace treaty ever since. Russia has gradually expanded its military footprint on the islands over the years, and previous visits by senior Russian officials — including two trips by then-president Dmitry Medvedev and a 2021 visit by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin — have each drawn similar objections from Japan.
The trip took place against a backdrop of rising regional tension, coming shortly after a North Korean missile test and ahead of scheduled U.S.-South Korean military drills. Russian and Chinese naval forces conducted a joint patrol near the islands last month as well.
