Putin visits disputed Kuril Islands for the first time, infuriating Japan

Vladimir Putin made his first-ever visit to the disputed Kuril Islands, seized by the Soviet Union after World War II, provoking a furious response from Japan, which called the move "absolutely unacceptable." Russia and Japan have never signed a post-WWII peace treaty, largely due to the dispute over the islands. Analysts suggest the provocation could ultimately backfire on Moscow.