August 21, 2025

This year marks 80 years since the former Soviet Union invaded the Chishima (Kurile) Archipelago despite Japan’s unconditional surrender by accepting the Potsdam Declaration on August 14, 1945. The need is for Japan to demand the return of the Chishimas based on historical facts and the basic principle of “territorial non-expansion”.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 18 issued a statement justifying the former Soviet Union’s invasion and annexation of the Chishima Islands by citing the Yalta Agreement which was signed by the leaders of the U.S., the U.K., and the former Soviet Union at their secret conference in Yalta in February 1945.

The agreement gave approval for the then Soviet Union leader Stalin’s demand for the hand-over of the Chishima Islands to the Soviets as a condition for the Soviet entry into the war against Japan. However, this agreement totally trampled on a key principle of the postwar disposition concerning territorial non-expansion. Putin’s use of the Yalta Agreement to justify Russia’s occupation is unacceptable.

The Japanese government is calling on Russia to return only four islands of its “ northern territory” (Kunashiri, Etorofu, Habomai, and Shikotan). In contrast, the Japanese Communist Party has been pointing out that the 1875 Karafuto-Chishima exchange treaty (Sakhalin/Kurile Exchange Treaty) confirmed in a peaceful manner that the Chishimas from Uruppu to Shumshu in the north as well as Kunashiri and Etorofu in the south were entirely incorporated into the Japanese territory in exchange for Russia’s occupation of Karafuto (Sakhalin). The JCP has been demanding the return of the entire Chishimas in line with this treaty.

The Japanese government should take a firm stance to uphold the internationally accepted principle of territorial non-expansion and should strive to increase the international community’s awareness of the need to correct Russia’s unjust occupation of the Chishima Islands.

Past related article:
> Online news program features JCP’s position on Japan-Russia territorial issue [March 13, 2022]