Putin visits disputed island near Japan, drawing Tokyo’s ire

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a disputed island near Japan, specifically Iturup, also known as Etorofu. Tokyo condemned the visit as absolutely unacceptable, stating it has an extremely negative impact on bilateral relations. Japan claims these four southernmost islands, referred to as the Northern Territories, were illegitimately stolen during the final days of World War II. The Japanese government asserts that Putin's actions make any future improvement of relations between the two countries significantly more difficult.