Japan considers new sanctions on Russia after Putin’s visit to disputed Kuril island - Kyodo
Japan is considering new measures, including additional sanctions against Russia, in response to Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iturup, one of four Russian-controlled islands claimed by Tokyo.
Kyodo News reported this, citing a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official.
“We are considering what steps to take next,” the official said.
Putin recently visited Iturup for the first time, prompting a formal protest from Tokyo. Japan summoned the Russian ambassador over the visit and reiterated its claim to the island, describing it as an “inherent territory of Japan, both historically and under international law.”
Putin also criticized Japan over its sanctions against Russia, claiming that Tokyo had imposed “unprovoked sanctions” without considering the causes of the war in Ukraine and had designated Russia as a threat.
The Kuril Islands have been at the center of a decades-long territorial dispute between Moscow and Tokyo. The Soviet Union seized the islands at the end of World War II, and they are now controlled by Russia.
Japan claims sovereignty over four of the islands - Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai islets - which it collectively calls the Northern Territories.
The territorial dispute has prevented Japan and Russia from signing a formal peace treaty ending World War II.