Kathmandu — Russian President Vladimir Putin has made his first visit to the disputed Kuril Islands claimed by Japan, inspecting a fish processing plant during a Thursday tour filmed and released by the Kremlin.
Japan lodged a strong protest against the visit, highlighting a territorial dispute over four Pacific islands that has persisted for nearly 80 years. Known as the “Northern Territories” in Japan and the “Kuril Islands” in Russia, the four islands—Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan, and Habomai—were seized by the Soviet Union in 1945 during the final stages of World War II, leading to the expulsion of roughly 17,000 Japanese residents. Because of this unresolved feud, Russia and Japan have never formally signed a post-WWII peace treaty, despite restoring diplomatic relations in 1956.
Home to around 20,000 residents, the strategically located islands feature rich fishing grounds, valuable mineral resources, and key Russian air and naval bases. Japan has consistently insisted on the return of all four islands, rejecting past Soviet and Russian proposals to return only Shikotan and Habomai in exchange for a peace agreement.
Following former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to the area in 2010, Moscow has steadily reinforced its military infrastructure and troop presence on the islands. With bilateral relations further strained over the war in Ukraine, Putin’s latest visit is seen as a deliberate move to reassert Russia’s sovereignty and firm grip over the disputed territory.
FACEBOOK COMMENTS