Russia's dictator Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands for the first time. The islands are the subject of a territorial dispute between Russia and Japan. Bloomberg reports this, citing Russia's state-run TASS news agency, writes UNN.
Details
Putin visited the island of Iturup, where he inspected a fish-processing plant. The Kremlin press service published video of his trip.
The Southern Kurils, which Japan calls the Northern Territories, are controlled by Russia. At the same time, Tokyo considers Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai island group to be its territory.
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The territorial dispute over the islands became one of the reasons why Russia and Japan have still not concluded a peace treaty after World War II. Therefore, Putin's visit has important political significance and effectively demonstrates Moscow's position regarding control over the islands.
Before Putin, other Russian leaders also visited the Kurils. Dmitry Medvedev went there four times—first as president in 2010, and later as prime minister in 2012, 2015 and 2019. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visited Iturup in 2021.
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The day before, while in Sakhalin, Putin said that Russia posed no threat to Japan and was ready to continue seeking a diplomatic settlement. At the same time, he stressed that Russian control over the Kuril Islands was, in his words, enshrined in international documents as a consequence of World War II.
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