Russia summoned Japan’s ambassador to Moscow on August 18, 2026, delivering a strong protest over anti-Russian remarks made by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The diplomatic escalation follows the first-ever visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the disputed Kuril Islands, a strategic Pacific archipelago claimed by both nations.
What began as a territorial dispute rooted in the final days of World War II has sharply intensified, with Moscow warning Tokyo of potential countermeasures amid tightening security ties between Japan and the West. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov criticized Takaichi’s comments on Putin’s visit, stating that her reaction had crossed what he termed the line of decency
while denouncing Tokyo’s militaristic line
.
Vladimir Putin’s Strategic Visit to Iturup Island
The diplomatic friction erupted after Vladimir Putin traveled to the far-eastern Kuril Islands, marking the first time a sitting Russian president has visited the territory since Dmitry Medvedev traveled there in 2010. During the trip on August 13, 2026, Putin toured the island of Iturup—referred to as Etorofu in Japan—where he visited a fish processing complex, a hospital, and a local school while sampling caviar at the Yasny fish processing factory.
The volcanic archipelago sits between Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture and Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, functioning as a geographic barrier that separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean. Analysts note that Russia operates a strategically important military base on Iturup.
Before traveling to the Kurils, Putin stopped at the nearby island of Sakhalin to review naval drills conducted by Russia’s Pacific Fleet and held meetings with regional governor Valery Limarenko.
Tokyo’s Sharp Condemnation and Historical Grievances
Japanese leadership responded with immediate condemnation. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted on social media that Putin’s journey was absolutely unacceptable
and argued that the islands are inherently Japanese territory. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi issued a parallel formal statement declaring that the Northern Territories are an inherent part of Japan’s territory both historically and under international law.
“The Northern Territories are inherently part of Japan’s territory, both historically and under international law.”
Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan, via Al Jazeera
The territorial row stems from the seizure of the four southernmost islands—Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and the Habomai group—by Soviet troops in 1945, two weeks after Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945. The Soviet Union subsequently deported approximately 17,000 Japanese residents from the islands, replacing them with a population that now stands at roughly 20,000 Russian citizens. This unresolved sovereignty dispute has prevented Moscow and Tokyo from signing a formal post-World War II peace treaty for eight decades, despite historical diplomatic efforts such as a 1956 joint declaration that ended the state of war.
Ambassador Akira Muto Summoned to Moscow
The diplomatic fallout culminated on Tuesday when Japanese Ambassador to Moscow Akira Muto was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry following Tokyo’s sharp protests. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin met with the envoy to deliver a formal reprimand regarding statements made by both Takaichi and Motegi.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Galuzin told the Japanese ambassador that Russia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the Southern Kuril Islands are indisputable. The ministry warned that Moscow reserves the right to take appropriate countermeasures in response to Tokyo’s alignment with Western sanctions and its support for Ukraine.
Geopolitical Realignment and Strained Bilateral Ties
Relations between the two neighbors have deteriorated significantly since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Japan joined G7 partners in imposing strict economic sanctions against Moscow while providing financial and non-lethal defense assistance to Kyiv, including indirect support through the export of domestically produced Patriot interceptor missiles to replenish United States stockpiles.
With Russia amending its constitution in 2020 to ban the ceding of any part of Russian territory to a foreign power, and with Moscow deepening its strategic alignment with Beijing and Pyongyang, prospects for bilateral reconciliation remain increasingly distant.
