Russia summons Japan envoy after protest over Putin's visit to disputed Kuril Islands

Russia has summoned Japan's ambassador after Tokyo condemned President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the disputed Kuril Islands. The move marks the latest diplomatic exchange over a long-running territorial dispute between the two countries. Japan had already summoned Russia's ambassador in protest at the visit, which took place after Mr Putin travelled to the nearby Russian island of Sakhalin.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Japanese officials had "crossed the line of decency" in criticising the trip. He said Moscow had summoned Japanese envoy Akira Muto to address what he described as "the conduct of the Japanese leadership" and how ambassadors should behave in the host country. Mr Lavrov also said Tokyo had initially told Moscow that Mr Muto could not attend immediately, with officials saying he was either not in Moscow or unwell.

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, later said the ambassador had "suddenly started feeling better" and would attend on Tuesday. The dispute centres on the Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, which were seized by the Soviet Union in 1945. The islands have remained a major obstacle to a formal peace treaty between the two countries since the end of the Second World War.

The latest summonses underline how sensitive the issue remains, even as both sides continue to use diplomatic protests to register their objections. The row also comes against a wider backdrop of worsening ties between Japan and Russia since the full-scale war in Ukraine began in 2022. Japan has joined other G7 countries in sanctioning Russia and providing money and non-lethal defence aid to Kyiv.

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That broader deterioration has added another layer of strain to an already unresolved territorial dispute, making even symbolic visits by senior Russian officials politically charged. For Moscow, the visit to the islands appears intended to reinforce its claim over territory it controls. For Tokyo, public criticism and the summoning of ambassadors are part of a long-standing effort to challenge that claim and keep the issue on the diplomatic agenda.

The exchange also shows how territorial disputes can quickly spill into wider bilateral relations, especially when they intersect with other international conflicts. What remains unclear is whether the latest diplomatic protest will lead to any practical change in the two countries' positions. The immediate next step is the planned attendance of Mr Muto at the Russian foreign ministry, after which both sides may issue further statements.

For now, the dispute appears set to remain unresolved, with the islands continuing to shape relations between Moscow and Tokyo.

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