Russia rejects Japanese criticism of Putin's visit to Kuril Islands

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that Moscow rejected statements by Japan's leadership concerning President Vladimir Putin's visit to Iturup Island as "unacceptable" and "legally void."

Zakharova, commenting on remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, said in a statement that Tokyo had no grounds to tell the Russian leadership which regions of the country its president could visit.

"We categorically reject these statements as politically irrelevant, offensive and, of course, legally void," she stressed.

Zakharova said Japan's criticism reflected "Tokyo's increasingly anti-Russian policy" as she accused Japan of undermining bilateral relations by joining Western sanctions against Russia and providing military and other support to Ukraine.

She also said Moscow considered Russia's sovereignty and jurisdiction over the southern Kuril Islands, including Iturup, to be undisputed.

The official pointed out that the islands had become part of Russia following World War II and accused Japan's leadership of promoting "revanchist" narratives.

The comments followed statements by Takaichi and Motegi about Putin's first-ever visit to the Kuril Islands earlier in the day.

Russia and Japan have long disputed the sovereignty of the four southern Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories. The territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a post-World War II peace treaty.