Russia summons Japan envoy after protest over Putin's Kuril Islands visit

Moscow,UPDATED: Aug 18, 2026 17:50 IST

Russia on Tuesday summoned Japan's ambassador to protest Tokyo's condemnation of President Vladimir Putin's trip to the disputed Kuril Islands, a Moscow-controlled Pacific archipelago claimed by both countries. The exchange marks the latest strain in ties already hit by Russia's war in Ukraine and the long-running territorial dispute between the two neighbours.

Putin last week visited Iturup, one of the four southernmost islands in the chain, in what Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called a visit that was "incompatible with the Japanese position on the Northern Territories" and "absolutely unacceptable". Japan's claim over the islands, which it calls the Northern Territories, has for decades prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending hostilities from World War II.

The Soviet Union seized the islands from Japan in the final days of World War II. Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tokyo "strongly protests" Putin's visit to Iturup, which Japan calls Etorofu, and said that "the Northern Territories, including Etorofu Island, are Japan's inherent territory both historically and from the perspective of international law".

On Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin met Japanese Ambassador Akira Muto and lodged a formal protest over what Moscow called the "anti-Russia" statements by Takaichi and Motegi. According to Russia's Foreign Ministry, Galuzin told Muto that "Russia's sovereignty and jurisdiction over the southern Kuril Islands are absolutely unshakable".

The ministry said, "These territories passed to our country as a result of World War II that was enshrined in the relevant agreements of the Allied Powers and the UN Charter." It added, "Any attempts by the Japanese side to directly or indirectly call this obvious reality into question are absolutely unacceptable and unlawful." Galuzin also told the ambassador that, in view of Tokyo's support for Western sanctions against Russia and its backing for Ukraine, "Moscow reserves the right to take appropriate countermeasures".

Efforts over several decades to settle the dispute have not produced any visible results. Over the years, Moscow has also strengthened its military presence on the Kurils, underlining its firm position on the issue.

Speaking last week aboard a Russian warship taking part in drills in the Pacific, Putin said Moscow had earlier "developed constructive relations with a number of Japanese leaders, including the tragically deceased former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who did much to bring Japan and Russia closer together, to align our positions". He added that Japan imposed sanctions on Russia after it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 and "listed Russia as a source of primary threats", which changed that constructive relationship. Putin also said Russia remains ready "to cooperate with all its neighbours, including Japan and other states in the region".

The latest diplomatic exchange has again highlighted the unresolved dispute over the southern Kuril Islands, with Japan protesting Putin's visit and Russia asserting that its control over the territory is not open to question.

With PTI Inputs

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