On August 13, 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first-ever visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, sparking fierce condemnation from Japan and Ukraine. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the visit "absolutely unacceptable," and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned Russia's ambassador. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Moscow of using its "imperial playbook" of illegal occupation. The visit highlights the deep deterioration of bilateral relations since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Putin's Kuril Islands visit
- ▪Russian President Vladimir Putin's August 2026 visit to the Kuril Islands followed his inspection of the Pacific Fleet's flagship missile cruiser Varyag during military exercises in Russia's Far East.
- ▪During his August 13, 2026 visit to Iturup island, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Yasny fish-processing plant, examined local fishing operations, and interacted with residents.
- ▪Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the disputed Kuril Islands, specifically Iturup (known as Etorofu in Japan), for the first time on August 13, 2026.
- ▪Russian President Vladimir Putin's August 13, 2026 trip to the Kuril Islands represents only the second time a Russian leader has visited the disputed territory, following Dmitry Medvedev's visit in 2010.
Russia-Japan territorial dispute
- ▪The territorial dispute over the four southern Kuril Islands—Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and the Habomai islets—dates back to August 1945, when Soviet forces seized them at the end of World War II.
- ▪The ongoing territorial dispute over the Kuril Islands has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a formal peace treaty to officially end their World War II conflict.
- ▪Following the Soviet occupation of the Kuril Islands in 1945, approximately 17,000 Japanese residents were deported, and currently about 20,000 Russian citizens reside on the islands.
- ▪The disputed Kuril Islands hold strategic value due to rich fishing grounds, mineral deposits like gold and silver, and ice-free straits providing year-round open-water access for Russia's Pacific Fleet.
Japanese government condemnation
- ▪Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev to lodge a strong protest against Russian President Vladimir Putin's August 13, 2026 visit to the Kuril Islands.
- ▪The Russian Embassy in Japan responded to Tokyo's protest by stating that the Kuril Islands are an integral part of Russia and that President Vladimir Putin's travel there is a sovereign matter.
- ▪Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's August 13, 2026 visit to the Kuril Islands as "absolutely unacceptable" and incompatible with Japan's historical and legal claims to the territory.
Ukrainian solidarity statement
- ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree in 2022 formally recognizing the disputed Kuril Islands as Japanese territory under temporary Russian occupation.
- ▪Ukraine and Japan continue to deepen bilateral ties, including through the fifth phase of an Emergency Recovery Programme with a budget of approximately $38.5 million.
- ▪Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's August 13, 2026 visit to Etorofu, accusing Moscow of using the same "imperial playbook" of illegal occupation and intimidation seen in Ukraine.
Russia-Japan relations deterioration
- ▪Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized Japan's sanctions as "unprovoked" and accused Tokyo of identifying Russia as a threat while maintaining territorial claims against Russia.
- ▪Relations between Russia and Japan have severely deteriorated since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, leading Japan to impose sanctions and Russia to suspend peace treaty negotiations and economic cooperation.
- ▪Security tensions in the region have been heightened by joint naval and air exercises between Russia and China around Japan, as well as North Korea's military partnership with Russia.
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