Putin’s Visit to Japan-Claimed Island Seen as Pre-Election Move

Tokyo, Aug. 14 (Jiji Press)–Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to one of the four northwestern Pacific islands at the center of a long-standing territorial dispute between Moscow and Tokyo may have been intended to shore up his popularity at home ahead of a national election in September. Putin’s visit to the island of Etorofu on Thursday came at a time when Japan has been seeking to kick-start diplomacy with Russia partly through the diversification of its energy procurement sources. The Russian side appeared to have pushed ahead with the visit in such circumstances, believing that any backlash from Japan would be limited. It was Putin’s first visit to any of the Russian-controlled islands claimed by Japan. The islands, collectively known as the Northern Territories in Japan, were seized by the former Soviet Union from the East Asian nation at the end of World War II and have long been claimed by Tokyo. In Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in Sakhalin in the Russian Far East on Wednesday, Putin reportedly said that Moscow’s jurisdiction over the four islands was “a reality that emerged following the end of World War II and is enshrined in international documents.” During talks the following day with Valery Limarenko, governor of the Sakhalin region, who effectively oversees the islands, Putin said, regarding his country’s invasion of Ukraine, that Russians have the genetic code of winners. The remark, made in front of television cameras, could also be seen as intentionally linking the visit to Etorofu with the aggression against Ukraine. Russia has been unable to achieve intended results in its invasion of Ukraine, which started more than four years ago. Ukraine’s drone attacks on oil refineries in Russia have affected citizens’ daily lives through spikes in fuel prices, leading to a drop in the Putin administration’s approval ratings. Ahead of the September election for the State Duma, Russia’s lower house, Putin apparently found it necessary to once again create the image that he is a strong leader who does not make concessions to foreign countries. Meanwhile, Japan has been working to maintain relations with Russia despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. In May, senior officials of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry visited Russia with representatives of Japanese companies to discuss the business environment with officials of Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development and others. Behind the visit were growing risks regarding energy security amid tensions over Iran. Japan relies on the Sakhalin-2 oil and natural gas development project in the Russian Far East for nearly 10 pct of its liquefied natural gas imports. Japanese traders have stakes in the Sakhalin-2 project. The Japanese government has lodged a strong protest against Putin’s visit to Etorofu. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters Thursday that the trip is “incompatible with Japan’s consistent position and is absolutely unacceptable,” while Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi summoned Russian Ambassador to Tokyo Nikolay Nozdrev and lodged a protest. The Russian side has rejected the protests, however. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday that Japan can declare the four islands as its territory as much as it likes but that this idle talk will change nothing. Fyodor Lukyanov, a Russian political analyst, told local media Thursday that Tokyo’s protests were a mere formality and will unlikely bring any tangible results. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]