Russian deputy PM visits disputed island off Japan's Hokkaido

It's their island so they can whatever they like, Japan can also do the same thing with any land in Japan's territory.

Single most provable fact here is that the Kuril Islands are UN-recognized sovereign territory of the Russian Federation.

https://www.un.org/geospatial/content/russian-federation

Here are the official maps of UN (conveniently two - high and low resolution maps).

Look at the maps.

Russia alleges that the four islands were legitimately acquired by the Soviet Union following Japan's surrender in World War II in August 1945, while Japan takes the view that the Soviet seizure was illegal.

Next point is this happened during the course of the Second World War, when the Allies negotiated a plan at a conference hosted at Yalta, Crimea in the Russia SSR in 1945. Otherwise known as the Yalta Conference, it included the Big Three. Everything done by them was legal.

Thirdly, words like "occupation" are misleading. Nothing but a fraudulent attempt to rewrite that war.

It's only disputed in Tokyo, it's a Russian island.

Russia had planned to invade Hokkaido in August of 1945 after Japan was already on its knees. The U.S. said, “Don't!” Then when the occupation began, a Russian general told Gen. MacArthur that Stalin wanted Hokkaido. Gen. MacArthur supposedly said something like: Go to hell!

“The Japanese Foreign Ministry said it has lodged a protest with the Russian Embassy in Tokyo over the visit.”

Wow! That's telling them! (sarcasm)

A despicable act purely designed by Fascist Russia to provoke Japan. And some people bizarrely wonder why Japan has thrown their support behind free, sovereign Ukraine, and have sanctioned Russia.

The Northern Territories are not, never have been, and never will be Russian. The free world will never recognise them as Russian.

JJE, stormcrow, and the first few comments are appreciated. Informed, educative and without the usual trolling. If only Japan reporters learned to look for facts instead of just following the "book".

Now would be an opportune time to assemble forces near the island and conduct exercises. THAT would really stick it to Russia.

The Japanese need to abort their policy of denial. The Senkaku’s is not a case of territorial dispute but the Northern islands are.

Both are in dispute because there is a dispute. How the dispute is settled or should be settled is also in disagreement but you cannot deny that these islands are in dispute.

If you think the Senkaku’s or Takeshima islands are not in dispute then neither are these northern islands.

Intimidating I say.

@koiwaicoffee, (JJE) your report on the news is well stated. Too many people believe what they hear (they never even test the facts), yet what is spoken is not always true, as many are starting to find out. - WOKE

The free world gave them to Russia

Another case of WW2 events influencing the current day.

Look at the partition of Korea.

Humans not good at resolving conflict

They belong to Russia. As JJE posted correctly above.

JJEToday  07:33 am JST

Single most provable fact here is that the Kuril Islands are UN-recognized sovereign territory of the Russian Federation.

https://www.un.org/geospatial/content/russian-federation

Still going with your 20 year old map as proof of something huh?

Next point is this happened during the course of the Second World War, when the Allies negotiated a plan at a conference hosted at Yalta, Crimea in the Russia SSR in 1945. Otherwise known as the Yalta Conference, it included the Big Three. Everything done by them was legal.

Thirdly, words like "occupation" are misleading. Nothing but a fraudulent attempt to rewrite that war.

The unequal treaties imposed on China and Japan were 100% legal too. Doesn't make them a moral travesty.

*not make them

100% legal means Japan should accept them in a rules based society. If Japan would like to fight and get the islands back, that is perfectly acceptable too.

quercetumToday  09:21 am JST

100% legal means Japan should accept them in a rules based society. If Japan would like to fight and get the islands back, that is perfectly acceptable too.

Taiwan's existence is 100% legal, too. China should accept them in a rules based society. If China would like to fight and get the island back, that is perfectly acceptable too.

The one thing it seems that Japan or Russia do agree about these disputed islands is that the "rightful" owners are somehow no longer the Ainu.

When will the USA influenced Japanese government get over it. The Kuril islands are Russian territory.

As long as American military bases remain on Japanese territory, no territorial concessions are possible in principle. Even a schoolchild understands this, but adult politicians in Japan do not understand.

Was he drunk half the time?

Japan is just kicking a dead horse. If anyone sincerely believes that Russia would willingly relinquish sovereignty over these islands then they haven't a clue to Putin's ambitions or those of the Russian state. The ONLY way that Japan will regain sovereignty over these islands is by force, a literal invasion by it's military so as the saying goes, put up or shut up! Just stating the obvious.

Japanese right wingers and their internet brigate should take a deep breath and realize that these islands are Russians and will stay like that.

Germany lost way more,Königaberg and West-East Prussia but they don’t wine like this.

JJEToday  07:33 am JST

Single most provable fact here is that the Kuril Islands are UN-recognized sovereign territory of the Russian Federation.

Being that Russia refused to fight Japan until less than a month before WWII ended, and having never fought a battle against the Japanese, they didn't have any rights to any land in Asia.

Furthermore, why weren't the islands given to the USA who fought both Germany and Japan while Russia was hiding for 4 years? The USA carried the Allies on their back and the Allies would not have won without the USA. Perhaps Putin should repay the USA's favor by ceding to the USA all land east of Moscow.

Anything less is an injustice.

The UN does not take positions on disputed territories. Any claim that they do is an outright fabrication.

The US, UK and EU recognize the four islands as Japanese territory under Russian administration (occupation).

Perhaps you should remind your buddy Blinken about this policy concerning recent State Department statements regarding Senkaku/Diaoyu and the South China Sea.

We are both in agreement that the USA and the UN is not the arbiter of national boundaries.

He has done nothing wrong, visiting Russia's sovereignty soil. He has the applauding by Russian people!

Why does Russia keep invading countries and killing innocent people to gain more land? Don’t they have enough already??

It’s not about the amount of land, but how you utilize it to create a healthy economy for your citizens. Based on how poor and repressed the majority of Russians are, their government has totally failed them.

And silly Japan keep being US lapdog..

Good bye northern territories..

Byeeeeeee....

After the Treaty of Exchange for the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, Russia unilaterally abrogated the Japan-Soviet Neutrality Pact and invaded the Kuril Islands.

Japan acknowledged the abrogation of the Kuril Islands in the San Francisco Peace Treaty (not including the four islands), but Russia never signed it. Conversely, Japan can notify the UN that it will abrogate the San Francisco Peace Treaty in the future.

Since the territorial issue has not been resolved, no peace treaty has been concluded between Russia and Japan.

This is the history so far, but it is hard to believe that Russia has sovereignty over the Kuril Islands.

The only solution against Russia may be through force. Someone here will probably say that Ukraine's territory is Russian territory recognized by the UN lol.

No a chance in hell Japan is getting those islands while putin is still in power. Just accept it and wait for the right opportunity in the future.

By keeping the status quo Russia has Japan by the proverbial balls. These islands give the Russians control over shipping access in the region as well as a military foothold as well as a surveillance position. For what reason would Russia relinquish sovereignty over the Southern Kurils, what is there to gain?

Russia alleges that the four islands were legitimately acquired by the Soviet Union following Japan's surrender in World War II in August 1945, while Japan takes the view that the Soviet seizure was illegal.

As the Soviet Union no longer exists, these islands should have been handed back when the USSR ceased to exist. Russia has no legitimate right to occupy Japanese territory.

There's no dispute. They're Russian and always will be. It's not like Japan is going to go to war for them......

Dave FairToday 11:37 am JST

Japan is just kicking a dead horse. If anyone sincerely believes that Russia would willingly relinquish sovereignty over these islands then they haven't a clue to Putin's ambitions or those of the Russian state. The ONLY way that Japan will regain sovereignty over these islands is by force, a literal invasion by it's military so as the saying goes, put up or shut up! Just stating the obvious.

There is value in getting the fascist state to even admit that it did a bad thing. And by that I mean Russia.

Falco1Today 11:45 am JST

Japanese right wingers and their internet brigate should take a deep breath and realize that these islands are Russians and will stay like that.

Germany lost way more,Königaberg and West-East Prussia but they don’t wine like this.

Germany attacked Russia. Japan did not attack Russia or even enter the war against Russia with Germany.

Ramsey's KitchenToday 04:31 pm JST

Germany attacked Russia. Japan did not attack Russia or even enter the war against Russia with Germany.

Japan chose its friends and enemies in WW2. End of story.

Only the Russian believes in justified land theft these days. End of story.

@TaiwanisChina

Russian believes in justified land theft these days. End of story.

Please tell Mr.Netanyahu to stop taking the Palestinian lands through those right wing armed settlers. America being double or multiple standards of moral was why she was hated.

elephant200Today 05:02 pm JST

I'm glad you meticulously prove the moral equivalence of Israel and Russia every day. When can we expect Putin at the Hague?

Germany attacked Russia. Japan did not attack Russia or even enter the war against Russia with Germany.

No, that was not true. Imperial Japan has engaged a war with the Soviet Union in summer 1939 known as "Battle of Nominhan", inner Mongolia of today's China. The Soviet union has signed a true with Imperial Japan in 1945. But a truce was a truce. Stalin got a compromise with Roosevelt and Churchill in the summit of Yalta. The Soviet union was allowed to attack Japan after Germany surrendered !

Your history view was so wrong!

elephant200Today 05:08 pm JST

Germany attacked Russia. Japan did not attack Russia or even enter the war against Russia with Germany.

No, that was not true. Imperial Japan has engaged a war with the Soviet Union in summer 1939 known as "Battle of Nominhan", inner Mongolia of today's China. The Soviet union has signed a true with Imperial Japan in 1945. But a truce was a truce. Stalin got a compromise with Roosevelt and Churchill in the summit of Yalta. The Soviet union was allowed to attack Japan after Germany surrendered !

Your history view was so wrong!

Undeclared border wars, outside of the scope of WW2. Doesn't change the fact that Russia is a grubby land stealing piece of stuffing.

Japan was on the losing side.

Territories of the the defeated get ceded-suck it up Japan FFS!

kurisupisuToday 05:45 pm JST

Japan was on the losing side.

Territories of the the defeated get ceded-suck it up Japan FFS!

A fine argument for a fascist War of Aggression, the war crime to begin all war crimes.

A fine argument for a fascist War of Aggression, the war crime to begin all war crimes.

Depends on your viewpoint.

There’s always a loser and a winner.

Japan is able to start another war with Rusdia to reclaim the Kurils right?

Oh, that’s right it can’t, can it now.

All Japan can do is whine loudly….

If the US had decided to keep Okinawa for themselves, being the victor in the war and the occupying force on the island, importing more American families to live there, and decades later it's still US territory

Would anybody have a problem with that?

So many posters just ignore the history of that time.

It’s strange how many Japanese were captured (c. 500,000+) and held by the Russians at the end of the war, isn’t it?

I mean, the Russians weren’t taking Japanese off Honshu and putting them in POW camps.

It is quite obvious that the Japanese had colonized Manchuria and needed a vast force to put down dissent.

kurisupisuJuly 13  07:07 pm JST

A fine argument for a fascist War of Aggression, the war crime to begin all war crimes.

Depends on your viewpoint.

There’s always a loser and a winner.

Japan is able to start another war with Rusdia to reclaim the Kurils right?

Oh, that’s right it can’t, can it now.

All Japan can do is whine loudly….

So basically might makes right, huh? This is why there should be zero sympathy for the Russian when their country goes down. Again.

lostrune2July 13  08:08 pm JST

If the US had decided to keep Okinawa for themselves, being the victor in the war and the occupying force on the island, importing more American families to live there, and decades later it's still US territory

Would anybody have a problem with that?

Yes, Japan and probably China would have a problem with that.

kurisupisuJuly 13  09:09 pm JST

So many posters just ignore the history of that time.

It’s strange how many Japanese were captured (c. 500,000+) and held by the Russians at the end of the war, isn’t it?

I mean, the Russians weren’t taking Japanese off Honshu and putting them in POW camps.

It is quite obvious that the Japanese had colonized Manchuria and needed a vast force to put down dissent.

Not at all an argument as to whether theft is justified. Two wrongs don't make a right.

So Taiwan, you've moved from Russia and Japan were never at war {wrong } to "two wrongs dont make a right "

I can hear your argument crumbling even on a computer screen.

Give up while you are still behind

Not at all an argument as to whether theft is justified. Two wrongs don't make a right.

With the Kurils in Russian possession, it has been a time of peace.

Even President Putin has proposed that (even no formal treaty) there has been no aggression from either side in recent times and de facto there is a peace between both countries.

It is apparent to all.

Now Japan seeks to influence events in Ukraine military eg supplying arms to Ukraine.

Also, Japan seeks to become embroiled in NATO discussions and activities, possibly in attempts to one day join (which would be pushing geographical limits)

Watch as Japan ratchets up its actions and the resulting consequences….

GuruMickToday 01:20 am JST

So Taiwan, you've moved from Russia and Japan were never at war {wrong } to "two wrongs dont make a right "

I didn't move from anything that isn't logically consistent with one another given the context.

kurisupisuToday 06:43 am JST

Not at all an argument as to whether theft is justified. Two wrongs don't make a right.

With the Kurils in Russian possession, it has been a time of peace.

Even President Putin has proposed that (even no formal treaty) there has been no aggression from either side in recent times and de facto there is a peace between both countries.

It is apparent to all.

Only because no one is willing to take on bully boy Russia over them. That might not always be the case...

Now Japan seeks to influence events in Ukraine military eg supplying arms to Ukraine.

As is their right to support a country under heinous assault.

Also, Japan seeks to become embroiled in NATO discussions and activities, possibly in attempts to one day join (which would be pushing geographical limits)

Again, as is their right.

Watch as Japan ratchets up its actions and the resulting consequences….

Russia can't even seal the deal on Ukraine. Japan is free to "ratchet up" what it likes.

These islands have a Russian population now. Regardless of the details of how they were occupied, we have to leave existing borders alone. What kind of world would we be in if everyone wanted to return the world to the borders of 1945? Just look at a map. Should the German government demand that Western Poland is returned to Germany?

These islands have a Russian population now. Regardless of the details of how they were occupied, we have to leave existing borders alone. What kind of world would we be in if everyone wanted to return the world to the borders of 1945?

Britain shouldn't had returned Hong Kong to China (British since 1842)

Taiwan separated from China (1949)

Russia should had left Ukraine's existing borders alone (1954)