The US Ambassador to Japan, George Glass, stated that the United States recognises its ally’s sovereignty over the islands, one of which was visited by Russian President Vladimir Putin on 13 August.
“The United States remains unwavering in its support for its key ally and in its recognition of Japanese sovereignty over the Northern Territories (the Japanese names for the islands of the Southern Kuril chain are Kunashira, Iturup, Shikotan and Habomai – ed.)”, said the diplomat, as quoted by AFP.
On 13 August, Japan lodged a “strong protest” over Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s visit to one of the islands of the Southern Kuril chain, which Tokyo considers to be its occupied territories. This was reported by Kyodo News, citing a statement from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Kremlin press service, Putin visited the Kuril island of Iturup; this was his first visit to the Kuril Islands.
The USSR seized the Southern Kuril Islands following the end of the Second World War. In 1956, the Soviet Union signed a peace declaration with Japan, promising to return the islands of Shikotan and Habomai once the parties had concluded a peace treaty. Subsequently, the Japanese authorities began demanding the return of all the islands (including Iturup and Kunashir), and a peace treaty was never signed.
Shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian authorities suspended peace treaty negotiations with Japan, which had joined the West in imposing sanctions. Following this, Japan began referring to the Southern Kuril Islands as ‘illegally occupied’ territory for the first time since 2003.