Sanae Takaichi says Putin's Kuril trip "incompatible with" Japan's position on Northern Territories

Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first trip to the Kuril Islands on Thursday, visiting Iturup, one of the islands Japan claims as its Northern Territories. Japan immediately objected, with Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoning Russia’s ambassador and calling the visit a strong protest. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the trip is unacceptable and contradicts Japan’s longstanding position that the islands are Japanese territory. The islands were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War II, and the dispute has prevented a formal peace treaty. Relations have worsened since Japan sanctioned Russia over Ukraine. Takaichi warned that Putin’s visit intensifies Japanese public anger and makes future reconciliation harder. A Russian official, Dmitry Medvedev, responded that the islands are Russian and such objections change nothing.