Putin visited the disputed Kuril (Iturup/Etorofu) island on Aug 13, marking his first in‑person trip to the chain and prompting Tokyo to label the act “absolutely unacceptable,” raising doubts over a peace treaty and economic ties.
He toured a fish‑processing plant, tried caviar, and met locals after navy drills on Sakhalin; Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi condemned the visit, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned Russian ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev, and Russian and Chinese ambassadors issued a joint statement opposing revision of WWII outcomes. Medvedev’s 2010 visit to Kunashiri was noted.
The trip deepens already strained Moscow‑Tokyo ties following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, complicating Japan’s effort to secure a formal WWII peace treaty that would unlock broader economic cooperation, and may influence the enforcement of sanctions and regional security calculations.
Tokyo insists the four islands—Iturup, Kunashiri, Shikotan and the Habomai islets—are Japanese territory under international law and a prerequisite for a peace treaty, whereas Moscow cites post‑war documents and the 2010 Medvedev visit to affirm Russian sovereignty. The Russian and Chinese ambassadors’ joint statement rejecting any revision of WWII outcomes underscores the dispute, which remains legally unresolved.