# Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi has condemned Russian president Vladimir Putin’s visit to disputed islands as absolutely unacceptable. The islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia, have been at the centre of a long-running territorial dispute between the two countries. Tokyo says the territory is Japanese, while Moscow controls the islands. Putin’s visit has further strained relations between the countries, with Tokyo maintaining its opposition to Moscow’s sovereignty claims over the strategically important islands.
Japan condemns Putin’s visit to disputed islands