Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Iturup in the Kuril island chain on Thursday, August 13, marking his first personal visit to the disputed territory. The trip immediately drew a sharp diplomatic protest from Tokyo, reigniting a decades-old sovereignty dispute that has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal World War II peace treaty.
The journey to Iturup—known in Japan as Etorofu—took place against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions. According to Reuters, Putin arrived on the island on Thursday after overseeing major naval drills in Russia’s Far East and visiting Sakhalin, where he held a security meeting on border protection. The trip also followed a ballistic missile test conducted by North Korea earlier in the week.
Tokyo Issues Strong Diplomatic Protest Over Etorofu Visit
Japanese officials reacted quickly to the visit, delivering formal objections to Moscow. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi posted his condemnation on social media and issued a statement reasserting Japan’s historical claims to the southern archipelago.
“The northern territories, including Etorofu, are Japan’s inherent territory both historically and based on international law, and Japan strongly protests this visit.”
Toshimitsu Motegi, Foreign Minister of Japan
The disputed chain consists of four southern islands—Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai islets—which Japan refers to as the Northern Territories. Moscow administers the entire volcanic arc as part of the Kuril Islands, having annexed the territory at the close of World War II in 1945 and deported approximately 17,000 Japanese residents.
Industry Inspection and Local Exchange on Iturup
During his time on Iturup, Putin toured local industrial operations. State news agency TASS highlighted that this was the Russian leader’s first personal journey to the island chain, contrasting with previous visits to nearby Sakhalin.
Television footage broadcast by Vesti showed Putin inspecting the Yasny fish-processing plant, where he examined large tuna and halibut and sampled local fish roe amid discussions on migratory fish behavior. During an interaction with residents, the Russian president remarked on the local climate What lovely weather you have there, just like a resort!
prompting a resident to playfully reply that the weather was specially arranged.
Geopolitical Realities and Strained Bilateral Relations
The territorial dispute has remained the primary hurdle preventing Moscow and Tokyo from concluding a formal peace treaty to end World War II hostilities. While past negotiations occasionally raised hopes—such as a 1956 Soviet proposal by Nikita Khrushchev to return two of the islands under a peace settlement—no permanent agreement ever materialized.
Diplomatic friction has intensified significantly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Japan joined Western nations in imposing sanctions on Moscow and offering strong support to Kyiv, while Russia deepened its military cooperation with China and North Korea. Against this backdrop, Iturup serves a dual purpose: it hosts rich fishing grounds and mineral deposits, and it functions as a strategic military outpost housing primary air base operations in Russia’s Far East.
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