Putin's Island Gambit: A Provocation Wrapped in Fisheries Vladimir Putin's visit to the disputed Kuril Islands off Japan's eastern coast combines economic interest with diplomatic provocation.
The Russian president's trip to Etorofu, known as Iturup in Russia, has sparked a strong protest from Tokyo.
The Kuril Islands have been a contentious issue between Japan and Russia since the Second World War, when they were seized by the Soviet Union.