Kuril visit follows Pacific Fleet drills and Russia-China drills near Japan | DW News

Vladimir Putin made his first trip as Russian president to the disputed Kuril Islands on Thursday, prompting a formal protest from Tokyo. The move comes amid deepening military cooperation between Russia and China and North Korea's support for Moscow's war in Ukraine. We speak to Robert Ward, IISS Japan Chair and Director of Geo-economics and Strategy, about whether this is a bilateral territorial dispute or part of a broader test of Japan's alignment with the West.

0:00 Intro
0:32 Japan condemns Putin's visit to the disputed Kuril Islands
1:47 Why the islands matter to Russia and Japan
3:03 Why is Putin visiting now?
5:06 What Putin's island tour was signaling
6:25 Is Putin testing Japan's Western alignment?
8:14 Can Russia and Japan ever settle the dispute?

#putin #russia #japan #wwii #dwcurrentaffairs

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