Vladimir Putin's first visit to disputed Pacific islands draws Tokyo protest

The four southernmost islands of the chain also are claimed by Japan, which calls them the Northern Territories.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5588x3726+0+0/resize/5588x3726!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3e%2F60%2Fe2c99a7a457c9479213a3a87938a%2Fap26225229174448.jpg' alt='Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, listens to Sakhalin Region Governor Valery Limarenko in Kurilsk on the Iturup Island, the largest of the Kuril Islands of Russia's fareast, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026.'/><p>The four southernmost islands of the chain also are claimed by Japan, which calls them the Northern Territories.</p><p>(Image credit: Gavriil Grigorov)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-138631' />