Key facts
- Russia summoned Japan's ambassador to Moscow, Akira Muto.
- The summons was a protest against "anti-Russian" remarks by Japanese officials, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
- The remarks concerned the disputed Kuril Islands, which Russia calls the Southern Kurils and Japan calls the Northern Territories.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the islands shortly before the summons.
- Russia stated its sovereignty over the islands is indisputable and that Japanese attempts to question this are unacceptable.
- Moscow warned it reserves the right to take appropriate countermeasures due to Japan's sanctions and support for Ukraine.
Russia summoned Japan's ambassador to Moscow to deliver a strong protest over what it described as "anti-Russian" remarks made by Japanese officials concerning the disputed Kuril Islands. The islands, referred to as the Southern Kurils by Russia and the Northern Territories by Japan, were seized by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II. Russia currently controls and administers them, asserting its sovereignty, a stance Japan disputes.
The diplomatic escalation followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to one of the islands, which Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi deemed "unacceptable" and hurtful to Japanese feelings. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin conveyed Moscow's objection to Ambassador Akira Muto, emphasizing that Russia's jurisdiction over the islands is indisputable and that any challenge to this reality is unlawful.
Relations between Russia and Japan have significantly deteriorated since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Japan joining international sanctions against Moscow. In response to Japan's actions, Russia stated it reserves the right to take "appropriate countermeasures." The unresolved island dispute has historically prevented the two nations from signing a formal peace treaty.