Putin eats fish eggs on the island that faces Russia and Japan since World War II

Vladimir Putin visited the island of Iturup, part of the disputed Kuril Islands chain, marking his first ever trip to the territory claimed by Japan since the end of World War II. The visit took place in the easternmost region of Russia, where Putin observed fish catches and migration patterns at a local seafood processing plant. He sampled local fish roe, an act that, while seemingly routine, has sparked diplomatic tensions with Tokyo. The visit was part of a broader military tour through the Pacific, following recent naval exercises in the Far East and just days after North Korea launched another ballistic missile near the Korean Peninsula. The Kuril Islands, known in Japanese as the Northern Territories, have been a point of contention between Russia and Japan for decades. Iturup, the largest of the four islands in the southern group, lies approximately 1,000 kilometers northeast of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost major island. Russian authorities administer all four islands, which are volcanic in nature and lie along a chain stretching from the Kamchatka Peninsula to near Hokkaido. However, Japan claims these territories as its own, arguing they were never legally transferred after World War II. This dispute has remained unresolved despite multiple attempts at negotiation. The roots of the conflict trace back to August 1945, when Soviet forces, under Stalin’s orders, invaded the Kurils as part of a larger campaign against Japanese troops in Manchuria. The Soviet Union entered the war against Japan shortly after the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, fulfilling a wartime agreement with the U.S. and Britain. Soviet troops occupied the four southern islands, including Iturup, where around 17,000 Japanese residents were expelled in the years that followed. These islands became part of the USSR and later fell under Russian Federation control after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Japan maintains that the Kurils were never formally ceded to the Soviet Union and that the occupation of the islands was illegal. According to Japanese officials, the islands remain under occupation and should be returned. In contrast, Russia asserts that its sovereignty over the Kurils is legitimate, based on historical and legal grounds. A 1956 joint declaration between Japan and the Soviet Union ended the state of war and restored diplomatic relations, but it did not resolve the territorial dispute. The agreement outlined the return of two smaller islands, Shikotan and Habomai, to Japan, but Kunashir and Iturup remained under Russian administration. Efforts to resolve the issue have persisted over the years. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe played a key role in pushing for resolution, engaging in numerous meetings with Putin. Despite this, the dispute has remained frozen, with both sides unwilling to compromise fully. The latest developments, however, suggest a shift in dynamics. Putin’s visit to Iturup, described by Russian media as a symbolic gesture of national presence, has been met with sharp criticism from Tokyo. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stated that the islands are “inherently Japanese” and expressed “strong protests” against the visit. The timing of the visit appears strategic. It follows a series of military activities in the Pacific, including large-scale naval drills in the Far East and North Korea’s recent missile tests. These actions underscore a growing regional alignment, with Moscow strengthening ties with Pyongyang. For Japan, the visit represents a clear challenge to its territorial claims and raises concerns about the geopolitical balance in the region. As tensions continue, the future of the dispute remains uncertain, with both nations likely to pursue their respective positions in the absence of a formal peace treaty.