Putin Visits Disputed Islands, Japan Protests

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Kuril Islands on Thursday for the first time, a move that triggered a strong protest from Japan, which also claims the territory. The islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan, have long strained Russian-Japanese relations. The Soviet Union seized them from Japan in 1945 at the end of World War II. The Kremlin released a video of Putin on the islands. Russian media reported that he toured a fish-processing plant during the visit.