Putin Claims Russian Sovereignty over Kuril Islands Confirmed

Tokyo, Aug. 12 (Jiji Press)--Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Wednesday that international documents confirm the Kuril Islands, including the four islands that Japan calls its Northern Territories, as Russian territory, according to Russia's state-run Tass news agency.

While inspecting Russian naval drills in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the Russian Far East, Putin reportedly stated that his country's effective control of the four disputed islands is "a reality that emerged following the end of World War II and is enshrined in international documents."

Referring to relations between the two countries, Putin acknowledged former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's constructive role but criticized Japan's sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying that the shift in Japan's position was "in no way provoked by us."

According to Tass, Putin visited the state of Sakhalin for the first time since July 2013. He has been visiting many areas in his country ahead of the parliamentary election in September.

On Aug. 4, Russia's Pacific Fleet began large-scale border defense drills in the northwestern Pacific.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]