‘Monstrous consequences’ if Japan sticks to Kuril Islands claim – Medvedev

The warning by the former Russian president came after Tokyo protested Vladimir Putin’s first-ever visit to the archipelago The Kuril Islands will forever remain Russian land, with Japan looking for trouble by continuing to stick to its claim over the archipelago, former Russian President Dmitry Medvdev has said.The Kuril archipelago came under Soviet control at the end of World War II following Japan’s defeat and was subsequently incorporated into the USSR. Tokyo, however, continues to claim the four southernmost islands – Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai islets – which it calls its “Northern Territories.” The dispute has been the main obstacle to Moscow and Tokyo signing a formal peace treaty in the eight decades since the conflict.On Thursday, Tokyo lodged a strong protest over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first-ever visit to the Kurils, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi calling the trip “absolutely unacceptable” and saying it “hurts the feelings of the Japanese people.” Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi also issued a statement, insisting that the islands “are an inherent part of Japan’s territory both historically and under international law.”The Japa...