Kuril Islands row: Russia rebukes Japan ambassador

Russia rebuked Japan's ambassador in Moscow on Tuesday over Tokyo's protest against President Vladimir Putin's visit last week to the disputed Kuril Islands.

Japanese ambassador Akira Muto was summoned to Russia's foreign ministry and told that “Russia's sovereignty and jurisdiction over the southern Kuril Islands are unshakable,” the Russian foreign ministry said. Moscow also said it reserved the right to take “appropriate counter-measures” in light of Japan's support for Ukraine.

The Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, are controlled by Russia and claimed by Japan. The Soviet Union seized the islands in 1945, near the end of World War II, and expelled the Japanese population.

Putin visited the islands last Thursday, the first trip there by a Russian president since Dmitry Medvedev in 2010. Japan summoned Russia's ambassador in protest after the visit.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the islands “are an inherent part of Japan's territory, both historically and under international law”. Russia's foreign ministry on Tuesday called those comments “anti-Russian” and expressed a “strong protest”.

Muto was first summoned on Monday but did not immediately attend. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov then said Tokyo had “crossed the line of decency”. Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, citing unnamed sources, that Muto initially did not respond because of concern that Russia would dominate the talks, and that Tokyo later decided to accept the summons after internal discussions.

Relations between Russia and Japan have worsened since Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine began in 2022. Japan has joined other G7 countries in sanctioning Russia and has provided Kyiv with non-lethal defence aid.