15. The Kuril Islands Dispute (Russia-Japan)
Since World War II, Russia and Japan have never signed a formal peace treaty due to disagreements over the Kuril Islands’ ownership. The islands remain a diplomatic flashpoint between the two nations. In 2019, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia’s sovereignty over the Kuril Islands was not open for discussion, emphasizing that the islands are part of Russian territory. In 2022, Russia suspended an agreement with Japan that allowed Japanese fishermen to operate near the disputed islands, citing Japan’s failure to fulfill financial obligations under the deal (aljazeera.com).
