Putin makes first visit to disputed Kuril Islands, sparking diplomatic clash with Japan

Vladimir Putin visited Etorofu island on 13 August 2026 — his first visit to the disputed Kuril/Northern Territories archipelago, seized by the Soviet Union at the end of the Second World War. Observing exercises aboard the cruiser Varyag, Putin warned that "Nato [is] seeking to gain a foothold" in the Asia-Pacific. Tokyo and Moscow summoned each other's ambassadors in response.