Putin visits Kuril island claimed by Japan, prompting Tokyo protest

Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited Iturup, one of the southern Kuril Islands disputed with Japan, in what officials described as his first trip there. Japan's Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying it "strongly protested" the visit and reiterated Tokyo's position that the four islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, belong to Japan. Russia considers the islands part of its territory. During the visit, Putin toured the Yasny fish-processing facility, met with workers and tasted caviar. He also inspected a local hospital and promised to renew transport vehicles, particularly ambulances. The trip formed part of a tour of Russia's Far East, following a stop in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, where Putin observed the final phase of a Pacific Fleet exercise. The Kuril Islands dispute dates to the final stages of World War II and remains the main obstacle to the two countries signing a full peace treaty. No further details were immediately available on any diplomatic response from Moscow to the Japanese protest.