Kuril Islands: Japan called them occupied by Russia, Moscow vows to invest in them

Russia will develop and invest in the Kuril Islands, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev is quoted as saying on Monday, comments that further strain relations with Japan, which presupposes that the four islands belong to it, writes anews, Periskopi explains.

Japan claims that the four Kurdish islands are its northern territories in a dispute dating back to the end of World War II, and has failed to sign an agreement that would formally end the hostilities between Moscow and Tokyo.

These comments were made during his visit to Khabarovsk's distant eastern region, the Russian news agency TASS reports.

Japan had joined its allies from the West in imposing sanctions on Moscow after Russia had sent thousands of troops to Ukraine in what the Russian state calls the special military “x1>.

Last week, Japan described the four opposing islands as the fully occupied “” from Russia for the first time in two decades.