Putin Says Northern Territories Are Now Russian, Blames Japan for Stalled Talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that the disputed Northern Territories, a chain of islands claimed by both Japan and Russia, are now definitively part of Russian territory, further complicating an already strained bilateral relationship.

Putin made the remarks during a visit to Sakhalin, a Russian region near Japan, where he attended a naval exercise. He asserted that the islands' status as Russian land has been settled and is no longer open to negotiation.

The Russian leader also claimed that Japan has altered its diplomatic stance regarding the territories, though he offered no specific details on how this shift occurred. He framed the change as a significant factor behind the current impasse.

The territorial dispute has long prevented Japan and Russia from signing a formal peace treaty to conclude matters stemming from the end of World War Two. Despite decades of intermittent talks, the two countries have never reached a final settlement.

Putin placed the blame for the stalled negotiations squarely on Japan, describing Tokyo's position as the primary cause of the ongoing deadlock. He did not elaborate further on what specific Japanese policies he considered problematic.

In addition to his comments on the islands, Putin voiced concern over NATO's expanding presence in Asia. He argued that the Western alliance's growing involvement in the region is contributing to the formation of a new political and military bloc, a development he appeared to view as destabilising.

Putin's remarks are likely to be closely scrutinised in Tokyo, given the sensitivity of the territorial issue for Japanese public opinion and government policy. The Northern Territories dispute has remained one of the most persistent obstacles to normalising relations between the two neighbouring nations since the end of the Second World War.

Japan has consistently maintained its own claim to the islands and has not accepted Russian sovereignty over them. It remains unclear how Tokyo will respond to Putin's latest statements, though the comments are expected to add further strain to bilateral ties at a time when relations between the two countries have already been affected by broader geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine and shifting alliances in the Asia-Pacific region.