00:00Russia has summoned Japan's ambassador and lodged a strong protest over Prime Minister Sanai
00:05Takahichi's remarks concerning disputed islands controlled by Moscow but claimed by Tokyo.
00:11The move comes after Takahichi called President Vladimir Putin's visit to the islands unacceptable
00:16and reaffirmed Japan's claim to the territory.
00:20The dispute began after Putin traveled to the islands following a visit to nearby Sakhalin
00:25in Russia's Far East. Japan then summoned Russia's ambassador to protest Putin's visit,
00:31prompting Moscow to call in the Japanese envoy and formally convey its objections.
00:36Russia and Japan have disputed the islands for decades since Soviet forces seized them in 1945
00:42near the end of the Second World War. Russia has controlled the islands ever since,
00:47while Japan continues to claim sovereignty over the territory.
00:50Relations between the two countries have worsened further since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
00:55with Japan imposing sanctions on Moscow and providing financial support to Kyiv.
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