Medvedev Threatens Japan Over 4 Disputed Kuril Islands as Putin Visit Deepens Row
Updated
Updated · UNITED24 Media · Aug 13
Medvedev Threatens Japan Over 4 Disputed Kuril Islands as Putin Visit Deepens Row
3 articles · Updated · UNITED24 Media · Aug 13
Summary
Dmitry Medvedev warned Japan of “monstrous consequences” after Tokyo protested Vladimir Putin’s visit to the disputed South Kuril Islands and summoned Russia’s ambassador.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry reiterated that Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai islets are its inherent territory under international law, while Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Putin’s trip would further damage ties.
The islands sit between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific and serve as a strategic buffer for Russian nuclear submarine bases, helping explain Moscow’s hard line.
The dispute has remained unresolved since Soviet forces seized the chain in 1945; more than 25 Putin-Shinzo Abe meetings failed to settle it, and Russia quit peace treaty talks in 2022 after Japan joined sanctions.
The flare-up comes as Japan’s latest defense white paper cites closer Russia-China-North Korea coordination and increased joint bomber patrols near Japanese airspace.