@not_a_charmVladimir Putin has made his first trip to the Kuril islands, the Pacific chain that Russia controls but Japan says belongs to it. The four southernmost islands, which Japan calls the Northern Territories, were taken by the USSR in the closing days of WWII, and Moscow has only built up its military footprint there in recent years. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs came out swinging, describing the islands as "an inherent part of the Japanese territory" and saying it "strongly protests" the visit. Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president, wasn't having it. He said PM Takaichi can talk about the islands being "historically Japanese," but "this chatter won't change a thing." His line: the islands "were, are, and will remain Russian land," and anyone who doesn't get that is in for "monstrous consequences." The photos show Putin sampling something from a bowl while a woman in a lab coat stands by, a world map behind them, but the real story is the territorial standoff that just got louder #VladimirPutin #DmitryMedvedev
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