Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Iturup a day after a naval exercise in Russia’s Far East, prompting a strong protest from Japan. It was Putin’s first direct visit to the Kuril Islands.
Russia and Japan have long disputed several areas of the Kuril chain, including Iturup. The dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a formal peace treaty since World War II. Japan calls the islands the Northern Territories and claims them as an integral part of its territory, while Russia has controlled them since the war.
Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi strongly protested after Putin’s visit. He said Iturup and the other Northern Territories are Japan’s own territory under history and international law, and that Japan strongly objects to Putin’s visit.
The visit came a day after Russia held a major naval exercise in the Far East. At the same time, Russia’s ally North Korea launched a ballistic missile east of the Korean Peninsula. The visit could create new tensions in Russian-Japanese relations amid the long-running territorial dispute.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report