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The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to a disputed island near Japan has ignited a new wave of tension between Moscow and Tokyo, after the Japanese government deemed the move "unacceptable" and warned that it complicates any efforts to improve relations between the two countries.

Today (Thursday), Putin visited Iturup Island, known in Japan as Itorofu, which is one of four islands in the Kuril chain located near Japan's main islands, and was seized by Moscow in the days following Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.

Tokyo still clings to its claim of sovereignty over the four islands, considering their return a prerequisite for signing a formal peace treaty with Russia that would pave the way for strengthening economic relations between the two countries.

Tokyo: The visit is "unacceptable"

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takagi strongly condemned Putin's visit, stating that it offends the feelings of the Japanese people.

In a televised statement, she said the visit "hurts the feelings of the Japanese people and is absolutely unacceptable," adding that Tokyo hopes Russia will fully recognize "the seriousness of this issue."

Putin's visit comes at a time of heightened tension in Russian-Japanese relations, particularly since the Russian president ordered a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Japan joined other countries in condemning the war and imposing sanctions on Moscow, which has led to a deterioration in bilateral relations that were already strained over the Kuril Islands dispute.

A visit before the anniversary of Japan's surrender

Putin's visit gains additional significance due to its timing; it comes just two days before Japan commemorates the 81st anniversary of its surrender that ended World War II.

It also follows a day after North Korea launched a missile towards the sea separating it from Japan, ahead of large joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was the first Russian leader to visit the disputed territories in the Kuril chain in 2010.

Moscow and Beijing cling to the results of World War II

In a simultaneous development, the Russian ambassador to Japan, Nikolai Nuzhdrev, and his Chinese counterpart, Wu Jianghao, issued a joint statement pledging to oppose any attempts to reconsider the results of World War II.

These statements reflect the ongoing geopolitical disputes in the region, amid rising Japanese concerns about Russian, Chinese, and North Korean military movements in its vicinity.

Putin inspects a fish processing plant

During his visit to the island, which the Russian news agency TASS described as Putin's first visit to the island chain, the Russian president inspected the Yasni fish processing plant.

Prior to this, Putin had overseen exercises for the Russian Navy in the far east of Russia.

Images broadcast by the "Vesti" television channel showed Putin wearing a dark suit while standing next to two large tuna and a halibut placed on a table.

Russian officials spoke to him about fishing activity and the behavior of fish during their migration, and the Russian president stopped during the tour to sample local fish roe.

Putin's visit to Iturup brings the issue of the disputed Kuril Islands back to the forefront of Russian-Japanese relations at a time when the prospects for a political settlement of the dispute appear more complicated, given the ramifications of the war in Ukraine and increasing security tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.