Lavrov rebukes Japan for 'indecent' reaction to Putin's Kuril Islands visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has sharply criticised Japan's reaction to President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to the Kuril Islands, describing Tokyo's statements as having "crossed the bounds of decency."

Speaking at a joint press conference in Moscow with his Ghanaian counterpart, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Lavrov said it was unacceptable for Japanese officials to suggest that the Russian president could not travel to any part of Russian territory. The comments were in response to Japan's formal protest over Putin's trip to the Pacific archipelago.

Putin's visit to Iturup, one of the four southernmost islands in the chain, drew a strong rebuke from Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. Tokyo summoned Russia's ambassador to lodge an official complaint and demanded the message be relayed to Moscow.

Japan claims sovereignty over the four southern islands, which it refers to as the Northern Territories. The Soviet Union seized them from Japan in the closing days of World War II, and the dispute has prevented the two nations from signing a formal peace treaty to end their wartime hostilities.

Despite decades of diplomatic efforts, no resolution to the territorial disagreement has been reached. Moscow has in recent years strengthened its military presence on the islands, a move widely seen as a signal of its firm position in the long-running dispute.