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Ulviyya Poladova

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Russia summoned Japan’s ambassador following Tokyo’s protest over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup, one of the disputed Kuril Islands, in August 2026, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, a formal protest was conveyed to the Japanese ambassador in Moscow. Russian officials reiterated that Russia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Southern Kuril Islands are "unshakable."

Putin’s visit to Iturup triggered a strong reaction from Tokyo. The Japanese government lodged a protest, describing the visit as unacceptable and saying it contradicted Japan’s position on the territories it calls the "Northern Territories."

Japan subsequently summoned the Russian ambassador over the visit.

The Kuril Islands have remained at the center of a territorial dispute between Russia and Japan since the end of World War II. Japan claims four islands - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands - and refers to them as the Northern Territories. Russia considers the islands part of its territory and maintains that the issue of their sovereignty is settled.

The territorial dispute has prevented Moscow and Tokyo from signing a postwar peace treaty formally ending World War II hostilities between the two countries.

Image: Vladimir Gerdo / TASS