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Japan protests Putin's first visit to disputed islands
President Vladimir Putin visited Russia's far-eastern Kuril islands for the first time on Thursday, prompting protests by Japan which also claims the territory.
GlobeSignal-AImedium certainty
- Why it matters
- The visit signals Russian assertion of control over territory both countries claim, heightening a long-standing territorial dispute between Russia and Japan.
- Most affected
- Japan — Faces a symbolic assertion of Russian sovereignty over territory it disputes.
Russia-Japan diplomatic relations — Tensions likely to deepen over the contested Kuril Islands. - Watch next
- Whether Japan issues a formal diplomatic response or escalates its protest beyond the stated objection.