The territorial dispute has long prevented the two nations from signing a formal peace treaty, with ties further strained since Japan joined international sanctions against Russia over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Japan condemns visit and summons Russian ambassador

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi denounced the visit in a televised statement as "absolutely unacceptable" and hurtful to the Japanese public, while the Foreign Ministry formally summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolai Nozdrev to lodge a protest. The trip—Putin's first to the island chain, where he toured local facilities and met with residents—came just days before the anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender.

Russia defends sovereignty over islands

In response to Tokyo's backlash, the Russian embassy asserted that the islands are an integral part of Russia and that presidential domestic travel is not open to foreign discussion. The visit coincided with a joint statement from the Russian and Chinese ambassadors warning against attempts to revise World War II outcomes, followed by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warning on social media that anyone challenging Moscow's sovereignty over the islands would face "monstrous consequences."