The United States recognizes Japan’s sovereignty over the islands visited by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin, U.S. Ambassador to Tokyo George Glass said on Friday, UNN reports, citing AFP.
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"The United States remains unwavering in its support for its most important ally and in recognizing Japan’s sovereignty over the Northern Territories," George Glass said on X, using the Japanese name for the Kuril Islands, which Putin visited for the first time on Thursday.
"At a time when the U.S.-Japan alliance seeks to promote prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, we firmly oppose any actions that undermine its peace and stability," Glass added.
Russian-Japanese relations have long been overshadowed by the issue of the islands seized by the Soviet Union in 1945 at the end of World War II, the publication notes.
Putin’s visit was the first visit by a Kremlin chief since Dmitry Medvedev’s in 2010.
"The Northern Territories are an integral part of Japan’s territory, both historically and under international law," Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.
Japan summoned Russia’s ambassador.
The Russian Embassy in Japan said that the ambassador stated that the islands are "an integral part of the Russian Federation" and that Putin’s trip there is not "a matter for discussion with foreign states."
Shireen Yassin, spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, said that "this is a bilateral issue between member states."
Tokyo prepares a response to Putin’s visit to an island Japan considers its own14.08.26, 09:47