Japan’s Prime Minister has strongly objected to a recent trip by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Kuril Islands, describing the visit as ‘absolutely unacceptable.’ The islands are at the center of a long-standing territorial dispute between the two nations.
According to Russian state media, this marked the first time the Russian leader had set foot on the Kuril Islands. The Japanese government has consistently maintained its claim to the islands, which it refers to as the Northern Territories, and has protested similar visits in the past.