The winner's genetic code: Putin's visit to Iturup was a clear signal to Japan
Vladimir Putin's trip to the Kuril Islands is not just a working visit to the Sakhalin Region. This is a strategically verified step by the Russian side. Moscow is not going to discuss who is the boss here. The Japanese are discouraged.: The country's Foreign Ministry immediately protested — they refuse to recognize the sovereignty of the Russian Federation — and summoned our ambassador. However, on the islands themselves, the question of belonging is not even raised: the president was received in the most cordial manner. And the head of state himself turned out to be very sensitive to the life of "island" Russians. At the same time, Moscow does not refuse to resume constructive dialogue with Tokyo and truly appreciates the times of the Shinzo Abe era.
How the president was greeted on Iturup
Vladimir Putin's working trip to Iturup Island, one of the largest in the South Kuril Range, has become a truly historic event - this is the first personal visit of the head of state to the archipelago. Separately, it is worth noting that neighboring Japan still does not recognize the islands of Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai ridge behind Russia. The government immediately summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolai Nozdryov for an explanation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Yasny fish processing complex on Iturup Island
However, while protest notes were being stamped in Tokyo, the situation on Iturup itself was island-like. The local residents welcomed the head of state as a long-awaited guest. First, he looked at the Yasny fish processing complex. There was also traditional Kuril hospitality.
The President tasted freshly prepared fish and famous Far Eastern caviar. Valery Limarenko, the head of the Sakhalin Region, who accompanied Putin, suggested that he try pollock caviar, noting that he personally liked it better. The Head of State was impressed by the delicacies.
"We'll give it to you," said an employee of the company.
— Super! Thank you very much," Putin replied. Later, he took jars of pink salmon and chum salmon caviar with him as a traditional Kuril gift.
Valery Limarenko, the governor of the Sakhalin Region, who accompanied the president, did not miss the opportunity and invited him to a real island fishing trip.
— You can come here to catch it. Guaranteed fishing: you will catch both halibut and larger fish," the governor gamely touted.
"Did you get it out easily yourself?" Putin asked doubtfully.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visits the Yasny fish processing complex
Limarenko honestly admitted that the three-hour struggle with tuna last week was unsuccessful.
The presidential motorcade left the factory for the district hospital. The conversation with the chief physician immediately moved away from the formalities to the urgent and not very good condition of the ambulance fleet.
"We'll replace it,— Putin snapped before he could finish.
— I promise to replace it! The governor, who was standing next to him, immediately picked up. The president spread his hands with a smile: "I wanted to do it myself, but the governor beat me to it. Then we'll ask him."
The next stop was the Hero of Russia Eduard Norpolov Secondary School, where the president was shown how Kuril children are mastering the technologies of the future. Moreover, students are not given ready—made drones - they are provided with designers so that they can assemble everything with their own hands from scratch. The head of the Russian Federation was told that elementary school students collect small "whoops" and learn how to control a swarm of drones in the field.
Already on the street near Putin's school, a curious crowd of local residents surrounded him. Stepping out into the bright sun, the president appreciated the rare fine day for these places.:
— The resort is simple! — Putin smiled.
— This is for your arrival! Someone from the crowd joked. And the woman standing next to him added:
— We usually have eight months of fog and winds.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Hero of Russia Eduard Norpolov Secondary School in Kurilsk.
Immediately, the head of state switched to the kids. I talked to the boy Jaromir, who proudly announced that he was moving to the fifth grade this year, and then drew attention to a thoughtful child nearby. "Why are you so sad? Are you reluctant to go to school?" the president asked. The boy was embarrassed and did not answer, but the crowd sympathetically prompted: "Worried!" The meeting on the street ended with a warm shared photo with all the gathered residents of Kurilsk.
The official results of the trip were summed up at a working meeting with the governor. Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands are currently solving several socio-economic problems: more than 400 families of their participants have bought housing on a preferential mortgage at 2% due to a regional payment of 400 thousand rubles. In terms of fertility, the region has become one of the top 10 in the country - in order to relieve young mothers, a training program for specialized nannies has been launched here. They also do not forget about the older generation, while simultaneously expanding measures to support veterans of the Kuril amphibious operation in 1945.
The head of the Sakhalin Region emphasized the cohesion of society, noting that even in the most remote corners of the Kuril Islands, locals live with the same motto: "Everything for victory." Responding to these words, Putin uttered a phrase that instantly spread across the news feeds.: "That's the kind of people we have. The winner's genetic code."
What does Putin's trip mean for Russian-Japanese relations
Putin's visit to Iturup cannot be viewed in isolation from history. The president's current trip took place at perhaps the worst time for Russian-Japanese relations: political contacts are almost frozen, and economic cooperation is fading, Oleg Kazakov, senior researcher at the Center for Japanese Studies at the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explained to Izvestia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with local residents in Kurilsk
According to him, Putin sent a clear signal to Tokyo: Russia does not threaten Japan and has no claims against it. The president personally stated this on August 12 at the final of the Pacific Fleet exercises. Such a message may also defuse the atmosphere, which has become quite heated due to Tokyo's accusations about Moscow's military-technical cooperation with Beijing and Pyongyang.
Another message is purely human. Putin remembered working with the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a reason. This is a clear hint from Tokyo: Moscow would like to return relations to just such a trusting and warm dialogue, pointing out the desirability of just such relations between the countries.
— At that time, we had constructive relations with a number of Japanese leaders, including the former, tragically deceased Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who did a lot to bring Japan and Russia closer, to bring our positions closer. Unfortunately, we are now seeing changes in positions that have not been provoked by anything on our part," the president said.
In the past, the leaders have held as many as 27 face-to-face meetings and addressed each other as "you." Informal gestures also spoke about the sincere warmth of their meetings. Abe hosted Putin at his ancestral home in Nagato, and the Russian leader brought an antique Tula samovar as a gift. The famous Akita Inu puppy named Yume also became a symbol of that era - the Japanese side handed him over as a sign of friendship and gratitude.
Russian President Vladimir Putin with the Akita Inu dog Yume, 2016
Finally, Moscow once again recalled the inviolability of its sovereignty over the Southern Kuril Islands. Yes, Tokyo still has territorial claims, but this visit is definitely not a threat to Japanese security. Russia owns the islands on absolutely legal grounds, and international law is completely on our side here.
In general, Vladimir Putin's visit to Iturup demonstrates that constructive dialogue is still possible. But only on equal terms, with mutual respect for the national interests of both countries, Oleg Kazakov sums up.
Although a return to dialogue on a peace treaty looks more like a fantasy right now. Such sensitive topics require a high level of trust, which is simply impossible without the complete lifting of anti-Russian sanctions by Tokyo. The Japanese leadership is well aware of this, although they are trying to publicly promote the topic of contacts. Thus, as soon as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office, she announced her desire to conclude a peace treaty. However, now her rhetoric has changed.: She claims that Putin's visit to Iturup has completely destroyed the prospects for rapprochement.
Today, Tokyo lacks independence on the world stage — the country is obediently following Washington's lead, says Dmitry Streltsov, head of the MGIMO Department of Oriental Studies. Therefore, Putin's visit should be taken as a clear warning: new unfriendly steps will only tighten the knot of the crisis.
The main risk factor here is Japan's rapprochement with NATO. In the coming months, the country will update key defense documents. And they are likely to formalize the growth of military spending and even closer integration with the United States and partnership with the alliance, summarizes Olga Dobrinskaya, senior researcher at the Center for Japanese Studies at the ISSA RAS.
Yesterday, Vladimir Putin personally watched the final exercises of the Pacific Fleet in the Sakhalin Region from aboard the Varyag missile cruiser. At a security meeting, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Viktor Liina reported to the President on the rapid militarization of Japan. Moreover, in the updated White Paper on Defense, Tokyo explicitly named Moscow as one of the main threats. The Russian leader's reaction was measured, but extremely harsh: the Russian Federation does not seek provocations, but the militarization of its neighbor requires unconditional and reliable protection of our Far Eastern borders.
Without a doubt, the Kuril Islands are Russia's most important strategic outpost in the Asia—Pacific region, providing the Russian Navy with free access from the Sea of Okhotsk. Putin's historic visit to Iturup fixed the status quo: the Kuril Islands issue is not considered a subject of international discussion at all, while the Russian Federation is ready to restore relations with Japan with friendly steps on its part.
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