Russian President Vladimir Putin landed on Iturup Island, and reports described how the island’s current status as being under Russian control has become entrenched. The report examines the state of the Japanese government’s diplomacy toward Russia and the reactions of those involved.
A scene was reported in which Russian President Vladimir Putin inspected a seafood processing plant on Iturup Island and sampled salmon roe, making it appear as though the island was already demonstrating to audiences at home and abroad the reality of its status as Russian territory. Just two and a half months earlier, Japan had sent a public-private delegation to Moscow in an attempt to reconnect channels between Japan and Russia. The episode became one that exposed the state of Japan’s diplomacy toward Russia.
The article conveys remarks by Japanese government officials and points to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ cautious stance, while also discussing assessments of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s diplomacy toward Russia. As the first part of a two-part series, it focuses on Mr. Verkhovsky as the central figure controlling Iturup Island and on how Russia responded to Japan’s overtures.
Mr. Verkhovsky is a businessman who controls the Northern Territories, and his reception of Putin is presented as a key to understanding the reality of Russia’s effective control. Some view the developments surrounding control of the island as having thoroughly humiliated Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, while Japanese government officials have offered assessments in light of the circumstances surrounding the delegation’s visit to Russia.