Putin visited Kuril Islands to 'punish' Japan over Ukraine stance

The first-ever visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to one of the disputed Kuril islands off the far northern tip of Japan last week triggered a swift and angry response from Tokyo.

Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a social media post that Putin's visit was "absolutely unacceptable" while referring to the islands, which it calls the "Northern Territories" as "inherently Japanese territory."

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in response that the islands are an "integral part" of Russia .

The Kuril islands were seized by Soviet troops two weeks after Japan's official surrender ending World War II on August 15, 1945, with the 17,300 Japanese residents forced to leave over the following year.

Putin toured a school, a hospital and industrial facilities on the island of Iturup, which Japan refers to as Etorofu. The visit came just two days before the 81st anniversary of Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.

"This was clearly a message to Japan," said James Brown, a professor of international relations specializing in Russian affairs at the Tokyo campus of Temple University.

"Russia has been angered by Japan's support for Ukraine and for the closer ties that Tokyo has been building with European members of NATO," he told DW.

"So there is a clear desire to punish Japan," he said. "But there is also a domestic element to this … as a visit like this can generate patriotic support among Russians of all political stripes."