US Ambassador Recognizes Japanese Sovereignty Over Kuril Islands, Stoking Tensions with Russia

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Agence France-Presse reported that the U.S. Ambassador to Tokyo has officially recognized Japan’s sovereignty over the Kuril Islands. Russia and Japan have been unable to sign a peace agreement since the end of World War II due to their disagreement over the ownership of the Kuril Islands.

This development occurred shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first-ever visit to the Kuril Islands in the Sakhalin region. Putin arrived on Iturup, the largest island in the Kuril chain and part of Russia’s Sakhalin Oblast, after observing the final phase of the Pacific Fleet’s exercises aboard the guided-missile cruiser Varyag.

President Putin’s trip to the Kuril Islands drew sharp criticism from Japan, with the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issuing a strong statement of protest against the visit.

In response to Japan’s objections to Putin’s visit to the Kuril Islands, Dmitry Medvedev stated that the remarks made by Japanese officials regarding the Kuril Islands do not alter the reality; these islands are and will remain part of Russian territory. Medvedev further warned that any party that fails to comprehend that the Kuril Islands belong to Russia will face severe consequences for their delusion.