Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands for the first time on August 13, arriving on Iturup — one of the four southern islands of the archipelago claimed by both Russia and Japan. The visit prompted a strong reaction from Tokyo, which called the trip unacceptable and lodged an official protest with Moscow.

Iturup, known in Japan as Etorofu, has been under Russian control since the end of World War II. Tokyo considers the four southern islands — Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands — part of its “Northern Territories”. The territorial dispute remains one of the main reasons why Russia and Japan have still not concluded a full-fledged peace treaty formally ending World War II.

During his visit, Putin toured a fish-processing plant, a school and a hospital, met with Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko and spoke with local residents. At the fish-processing facility, the president was briefed on production and sampled local fish roe. Russian state media presented the visit primarily as a demonstration of the Kremlin’s attention to the development of the Russian Far East and the quality of life on the Kuril Islands.

However, the political context of the trip extends well beyond the socioeconomic agenda. The visit came after Putin took part in Pacific Fleet exercises in the Russian Far East. The day before, the president spoke aboard a Russian warship and stated that the current status of the Kuril Islands is established by international documents as a result of World War II. At the same time, he said Moscow remains willing to seek a solution that would allow Russia and Japan to conclude a peace treaty.

At the same time, Russia continues to strengthen its military presence on the Kuril Islands. This gives Putin’s visit additional strategic significance: the Russian president’s trip to the disputed territory did not take place in isolation, but against the backdrop of a demonstration of the Pacific Fleet’s capabilities and increased attention by Moscow to the security of Russia’s Far Eastern borders.

Japan reacted sharply. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tokyo “strongly protests” Putin’s visit to Iturup, emphasizing that Japan considers the island its inherent territory both historically and under international law. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the visit as “absolutely unacceptable” and said Moscow’s actions would further complicate efforts to improve Russian-Japanese relations.

The timing of the visit also carries symbolic significance. Putin visited Iturup just two days before the 81^st anniversary of Japan’s surrender, which brought World War II to an end. The trip also came shortly after North Korea launched a missile toward waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan and amid preparations for major joint military exercises by the United States and South Korea.

An additional signal came from a joint statement by the Russian and Chinese ambassadors in Tokyo. Moscow and Beijing opposed attempts to revise the outcome of World War II and warned against the remilitarization of the Asia-Pacific region. The wording reflects the Russian and Chinese position regarding Japan’s growing military capabilities and its expanding security cooperation with the United States.

Putin’s trip to Iturup can therefore be viewed as a combination of territorial, military and diplomatic signals. On the one hand, Moscow is demonstrating that it has no intention of questioning its effective control over the southern Kuril Islands. The personal presence of the Russian president on one of the most disputed islands reinforces that message.

On the other hand, the Kremlin is simultaneously leaving some room for diplomacy. Ahead of the visit, Putin spoke about Russia’s willingness to cooperate with all neighboring countries, including Japan, and referred to previous efforts by Moscow and Tokyo to move closer to concluding a peace treaty.

Thus, Russia’s position can be summarized as follows: control over the islands is not up for discussion, but economic and political cooperation with Japan could theoretically continue. For Tokyo, however, such an approach remains unacceptable, as the Japanese side has traditionally linked a full improvement in bilateral relations to the resolution of the territorial dispute.

The situation has been further complicated by the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Japan joined Western sanctions against Moscow, effectively undermining earlier efforts to develop economic cooperation in parallel with negotiations over the Kuril Islands.

The Kuril Islands are important not only as the subject of a Russian-Japanese territorial dispute. Their geographic location allows Russia to control important maritime approaches between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean. Against the backdrop of growing military activity by the United States, Japan and South Korea, Moscow increasingly views the Russian Far East as a strategically important direction.

Putin’s visit can therefore be seen as part of a broader policy aimed at strengthening Russia’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region. It is particularly significant that the president’s trip coincided with Pacific Fleet exercises and Moscow’s statements about the need to ensure the security of Russia’s eastern borders.

At the same time, the visit itself does not indicate any immediate preparations for a new escalation of military confrontation between Russia and Japan. Rather, it should be viewed as a political demonstration of control and a warning to Tokyo, particularly against the backdrop of strengthening Japanese-American military cooperation.

 

Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup has become Moscow’s most significant symbolic move on the Kuril issue in recent years. Russia demonstrated its effective control over the disputed territory while simultaneously linking that demonstration to Pacific Fleet activity and the broader security agenda in the Russian Far East. The most likely scenario remains a combination of a firm position on sovereignty over the Kuril Islands with limited readiness for economic and political dialogue with Tokyo. Amid growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, this approach allows Moscow to consolidate its position in the Far East while demonstrating a willingness to cooperate — but without making concessions on the territorial issue.

#RUSSIA

#NEWS

13.08.2026 02:03