Russia summons Japan ambassador over disputed islands row

Russia summoned Japan's ambassador to Moscow after Tokyo protested President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the Kuril Islands, a chain of islands claimed by both nations.

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We have summoned the (Japanese) ambassador

Russian-Japanese relations have long been strained over the islands, which the Soviet Union seized in 1945. Japan calls them the Northern Territories.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Japanese officials had "crossed the line of decency" in criticizing Putin's trip. He added that Moscow retaliated by summoning Japanese envoy Akira Muto, noting initial confusion about Muto's availability.

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We were told either that he was not in Moscow or that he was unwell. We did not quite understand the situation

Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova later told state news agency TASS that the ambassador "suddenly started feeling better" and would attend the meeting. Lavrov said the summons aimed to address the "conduct of the Japanese leadership" and how ambassadors should behave in their host country.

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suddenly started feeling better

Ties between Japan and Russia have deteriorated since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Japan has joined other G7 nations in imposing sanctions on Russia and providing aid to Kyiv.

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the conduct of the Japanese leadership