Putin's Provocation: A New Low in Russo Japanese Relations As Russia's relations with the West continue to deteriorate, President Vladimir Putin has found a new target for his ire in Japan.
The recent visit by Putin to one of the disputed Kuril Islands has sparked a diplomatic row between Moscow and Tokyo, with both sides trading barbs over territorial claims and international law.
The dispute over the Kurils is not new, dating back to their seizure by the Soviet Union in 1945.