JAPAN WEIGHS TOUGHER SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA AFTER PUTIN VISITS DISPUTED ETOROFU ISLAND

Tokyo summons Russian ambassador and evaluates further diplomatic and economic sanctions following Vladimir Putin’s historic trip to the Northern Territories.

TOKYO: Japan is considering tougher diplomatic and economic measures against Russia after Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first in-person visit to Etorofu—one of four Russian-controlled islands claimed by Tokyo—public broadcaster NHK reported.

The visit to Etorofu (known in Russia as Iturup) marks the first time Putin has personally set foot on the disputed Kuril Islands chain. During his stopover, the Russian leader inspected local facilities, including a fish-processing plant and a hospital, following large-scale naval exercises conducted by Russia's Pacific Fleet in the region.

The move drew immediate and strong condemnation from Japanese officials, who maintain that the islands—referred to in Japan as the Northern Territories—are an inherent part of Japanese territory under historical facts and international law. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi denounced the visit as "absolutely unacceptable," stating that it is incompatible with Japan's long-standing position on the territory.

In response to the escalation, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned Russian Ambassador to Tokyo Nikolay Nozdrev to lodge a formal protest. Japanese officials are actively evaluating additional countermeasures, including the potential expansion of sanctions against Moscow, building on restrictions previously imposed in coordination with G7 partners.

The territorial dispute over the four southernmost Kuril Islands—Etorofu, Kunashiri, Shikotan, and the Habomai islets—has prevented Tokyo and Moscow from signing a formal World War II peace treaty for over eight decades. Bilateral peace negotiations remain suspended following Japan's alignment with international sanctions against Russia.