Japan Protests Putin's First Visit to Disputed Kuril Islands

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands for the first time, according to Russian state media. The islands, located between Japan and Russia, have been a long-standing territorial dispute between the two countries. Japan swiftly lodged a formal protest over the visit, viewing it as a provocation. The Kuril Islands, known in Japan as the Northern Territories, have been under Russian control since the end of World War II. The dispute has prevented the two nations from signing a formal peace treaty to this day.