Russian State Duma publicly threatens Japan over Kuril islands, invokes nuclear weapons

The official claimed without evidence that Tokyo was using confrontational rhetoric because of its territorial claims to the Kuril Islands.

Against this backdrop, he repeated a Russian propaganda claim that the Kuril Islands are “an integral part of Russia.”

“They should remember the time when militarist Japan caused the deaths of millions of civilians. Now they are trying to return to the same rhetoric. They should not. It is impossible to defeat a nuclear power such as Russia,” he said.

Putin’s visit to Iturup Island

On Aug. 13, Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands for the first time.

Japan protested the visit. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said the four “Northern Territories,” including Iturup Island, belong to Japan historically and under international law. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called Putin’s visit completely unacceptable. Japan also summoned the Russian ambassador.

Japan says the archipelago, which includes Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai islets, was illegally seized by the Soviet Union shortly after World War II. Russia maintains that its acquisition of the islands was legitimate.

The territorial dispute has prevented the two countries from signing a peace treaty.

It was Putin’s first visit to the disputed islands in more than 20 years in power in Russia. In 2010, then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev became the first Russian head of state to visit the disputed islands when he traveled to Kunashir.

On Aug. 13, Medvedev published a post threatening Japan over the status of the Kuril Islands, which he called “Russian lands.”

“Anyone incapable of understanding this will face the terrible consequences of their illusions,” Medvedev said.