Putin’s First Presidential Visit to the Disputed Kuril Islands Sparks Japanese Protest

On August 13, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his inaugural presidential trip to the Kuril archipelago, landing on Iturup (known in Japan as Etorofu). While aboard a warship participating in Pacific Fleet drills, he toured a fish-processing plant, a hospital and a school, briefly addressed local residents, and met Valery Limarenko, governor of Russia’s Sakhalin region.

The Hindu

The four southernmost islands—Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai islets—were seized by the Soviet Union in the final days of World II. Japan refers to them as the Northern Territories and claims historical sovereignty based on the Shimoda Treaty (1855), the Treaty of St. Petersburg (1875) and the Portsmouth Treaty (1905). Russia, calling them the Southern Kurils, cites the Yalta Agreement, the Potsdam Declaration and the San Francisco Treaty (1951) as legal foundations, though Japan disputes the latter because the Soviet Union did not sign it. The dispute has blocked a formal peace treaty since 1945, and occasional high-level visits—most recently by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in 2021—have provoked diplomatic protests.

The Hindu

• The island chain stretches roughly 1,200 km (750 mi) across the North Pacific.

The Hindu

• Approximately 20,000 Russian citizens reside on the four islands, while about 17,000 Japanese formerly lived there before post-war relocations.

The Hindu

• The islands grant access to rich fishing grounds and mineral deposits, underscoring their strategic and economic importance.

The Hindu

Japan:

The Guardian

• Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi labeled the visit “absolutely unacceptable” and warned that it “further hardened anti-Russian sentiment” and complicates medium- to long-term bilateral recovery.

NPR

Russia:

NPR

• The Russian Embassy in Japan dismissed Tokyo’s protest as “unfounded,” reiterating that the southern Kurils are an integral part of the Russian Federation on “legitimate international grounds.”

NPR

Japanese officials emphasized that high-level Russian visits contravene Japan’s consistent position on the Northern Territories. Prime Minister Takaichi specifically noted that Tokyo had repeatedly urged Moscow to refrain from presidential trips to the region since Putin announced his intention to visit in January 2024.

The Hindu

• “The Northern Territories, including Etorofu (Iturup) Island, are Japan's inherent territory both historically and from the perspective of international law,” — Toshimitsu Motegi, japanese foreign minister

NPR

• “I strongly protest today’s visit to Iturup Island by President Putin. The Northern Territories are inherently Japanese territory both historically and under international law, and this visit to Iturup Island by Russia’s incumbent president is incompatible with Japan’s consistent position on the Northern Territories,” — Ms. Takaichi, japan's prime minister

The Hindu

• “Even amid the harsh state of Japan-Russia relations following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Japan has made every possible effort,” — Sanae Takaichi, japan's prime minister

Politico Europe

• 1945 – Soviet forces occupy the southern Kurils at the end of World II.

South China Morning Post

• 2010 – President Dmitry Medvedev becomes the first Russian leader to visit the disputed islands.

South China Morning Post

• 2021 – Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visits Iturup, prompting a Japanese protest.

The Hindu

• 2025 – Japan protests a Russian shooting drill in the surrounding waters, calling the military buildup “unacceptable.”

Politico Europe

• August 13, 2026 – President Vladimir Putin visits Iturup, sparking the diplomatic clash detailed above.

The Hindu