Russia protested remarks concerning the Northern Territories, and the Japanese ambassador visited the Foreign Ministry in Moscow. Deputy Foreign Minister Galuzin (ガルージン) asserted that the Northern Territories are Russian territory and warned that Russia had the right to take appropriate countermeasures.
Russia summoned the Japanese ambassador to protest remarks by Japan concerning Russian President Putin (プーチン)'s visit to the Northern Territories. Japan was reportedly given an appropriate explanation, and Ambassador to Russia Muto Akira (武藤顕) left the Foreign Ministry after a meeting lasting approximately 20 minutes.
Deputy Foreign Minister Galuzin (ガルージン) once again expressed Russia's position that the Northern Territories are Russian territory, saying that it was "categorically unacceptable to question an obvious fact."
At a press conference on the 17th, Foreign Minister Lavrov (ラブロフ) said that protests by Takaichi (高市) and others over Putin (プーチン)'s visit to Etorofu Island had "crossed the line of propriety" and suggested that Russia had the right to take countermeasures.
According to the Embassy of Japan in Russia, the Japanese side appropriately explained Japan's position. Attention is now focused on further international developments.