Kyiv Condemns Putin’s Visit to Disputed Kuril Islands

Ukraine has condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accusing Moscow of using the same tactics of occupation it has used in its war against Ukraine. Putin visited the Kuril Islands for the first time on Thursday, Aug. 13, drawing fresh attention to the decades-long territorial dispute with Japan.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Putin’s provocative visit to Japan’s Etorofu island demonstrates utter disrespect to Japan,” Sybiha said in a statement on X, adding that it “represents a deliberate attempt to intimidate, escalate tensions, and normalize illegal occupation.” Decades-old dispute rooted in World War II The Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories and referred to as the Southern Kurils by Russia, were seized by the former Soviet Union in the final stages of World War II, and have remained a source of tension since. Stretching from Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula to Japan’s Hokkaido, the islands remain occupied by Russia, despite Japan claiming the four southernmost islands in the chain – Etorofu (Russian Iturup), Kunashiri, Shikotan, and Habomai – arguing they were “illegally occupied.” The Soviet Union entered the war against Japan on Aug. 9, 1945, just days after the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Moscow, however, maintains its claim traces even back further, to Empress Catherine II’s 1786 declaration that Russian explorers had discovered the islands, according to AFP. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Proposes Mutual Halt to Black Sea Attacks The offer follows a Ukrainian strike on four Russian warships and a pause to its campaign, latterly at the request of the US. The dispute has blocked Russia and Japan from formally signing a peace treaty ending World War II, despite repeated negotiation attempts over the past seven decades. Putin’s visit marked only the second time a Russian leader has set foot on the islands, following then-President Dmitry Medvedev’s trip in 2010. “Japan’s PM Takaichi can prattle on all she likes about the Kuril Islands being ‘historically Japanese,’ but this chatter won’t change a thing,” Medvedev said on X, adding that “they were, are, and will remain Russian land.” “Anyone who fails to understand this will face the monstrous consequences of their delusion,” Medvedev continued. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Ukraine in 2022, Japan joined Western sanctions against Moscow. In return, Moscow withdrew from peace treaty negotiations and frozen joint economic projects involving the islands. Islands holding strategic value As Ukraine continues to target Russia’s naval ports, oil and energy infrastructure, among other logistics units, the Kuril Islands hold real strategic value beyond their symbolic weight. The strait between the islands never freezes, essentially giving Russia’s Pacific Fleet year-round access to open water. The islands also contain fish stocks along with rare minerals used in aircraft manufacturing – the same sector the EU has targeted with sanctions on Russian fish and mineral exports. Ukraine drawing parallels to its own war “Russia uses the same imperial playbook everywhere. It occupies foreign land, militarizes it, threatens its neighbours, and then tries to make the world accept the illegal as irreversible,” Sybiha said. “No visit, no passage of time, and no attempt to impose a fait accompli can legitimize occupation,” he continued. Ukraine’s position on the Kuril Islands is not new. In 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree formally recognizing the islands as Japanese territory under temporary Russian occupation. Cooperation between Ukraine and Japan currently runs through the fifth phase of the Emergency Recovery Programme – which has a budget of roughly $38.5 million and covers infrastructure, water systems, the maritime sector, healthcare, and agriculture. Ukraine-Japan ties deepen The renewed tensions come as Ukrainian authorities held a series of meetings throughout the week with Japan’s outgoing Ambassador to Ukraine, Masashi Nakagome, discussing Japan’s possible role in the Drone Deal initiative, further cooperation and broader security as winter approaches. “Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,” Nakagome said in his official statement, adding that Japan strongly supports Ukraine, and will continue to do so, aiming to “achieve a just and lasting peace as soon as possible.” “Ukraine’s position is unwavering: Japan’s sovereignty over the Northern Territories is grounded in historical facts and international law,” Sybiha said. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to prepare its residents and critical infrastructure for the upcoming winter, as Russia is expected to shift its winter campaign away from attacking Ukraine’s power grid, including heating and electricity, toward targeting water infrastructure instead. To protect its skies against Russian ballistic missiles, Ukraine continues to rely on foreign partners for the delivery of Patriot interceptors. Zelensky has warned that domestic Patriot production could take years, appealing to allies for more interceptors before winter.