Russia summons Japanese envoy following Putin's visit to disputed islands

MOSCOW -- Russia's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned the Japanese ambassador to protest Tokyo's condemnation of President Vladimir Putin's trip to Kuril Islands, the Moscow-controlled Pacific archipelago that is claimed by both countries.Last week, Putin visited Iturup, one of the four southernmost islands of the chain, which Japan calls the Northern Territories. The Soviet Union took them from Japan in the final days of World War II, and the dispute has kept the countries from signing a peace treaty formally ending their hostilities.Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Putin’s visit, his first to the islands, was “incompatible with the Japanese position on the Northern Territories” and is “absolutely unacceptable.” She said the visit was a further blow to already-strained ties between the two countries over Ukraine, and that Moscow should understand the consequences.Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tokyo “strongly protests” Putin’s visit to Iturup, which Japan calls Etorofu, noting that "the Northern Territories, including Etorofu Island, are Japan’s inherent territory both historically and from the perspective of international law.”On Tuesday, Russia's De...