Moscow rejects Tokyo’s attempts to dispute Russian sovereignty over southern Kurils

The Russian Foreign Ministry deemed any Japanese attempts to dispute Russia’s sovereignty over the southern Kuril Islands unacceptable and illegitimate.

A message was conveyed to Japanese Ambassador to Moscow Akira Muto, who was summoned to Russia’s MFA on Tuesday, that "Russia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the southern Kuril Islands are indisputable," according to the ministry.

"This land was transferred to our country as a result of World War II that was fixed in corresponding agreements between the Allied countries and the UN Charter," Russia’s MFA said in a press release on its website. "Any attempts by the Japanese side to dispute this evident reality either indirectly or directly are inadmissible and illegitimate," the ministry warned.