Key facts
- Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands.
- Japan claims sovereignty over the Kuril Islands.
- Japan formally protested Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit.
- Tokyo summoned the Russian ambassador to Japan.
- Japan called the visit 'absolutely unacceptable.'
- The visit complicates efforts to sign a peace treaty between Russia and Japan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands, a territory that Japan claims as its own. The visit has sparked anger in Japan, which formally protested the action. Tokyo summoned the Russian ambassador to Japan to express its strong disapproval, stating that the visit was 'absolutely unacceptable.' Japan asserted its sovereignty over the islands, complicating ongoing efforts between the two nations to sign a peace treaty. The Kuril Islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, have been a point of contention between Russia and Japan since the end of World War II.