Putin's first trip to disputed Kuril Islands triggers diplomatic fallout with Japan

Putin visited Etorofu on 13 August 2026 — his first trip to the Kuril Islands, which the Soviet Union seized at the end of World War II. Japan claims the chain as its Northern Territories. Watching naval exercises aboard the cruiser Varyag, Putin warned NATO is "seeking to gain a foothold" in the Asia-Pacific. Both countries summoned each other's ambassadors.