At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union grabbed some of the Kuril Islands from Japan, and neither the Soviets nor their heirs, the Russians, have returned them. Now, no doubt as part of the Russian offensive to regain influence in the world, they may be offering them up to Japan. However, as WaPo notes, this may lead to some problems:
Japan has long claimed that Russia illegally occupies Kunashir and a handful of other nearby islands on the southern end of the Kuril archipelago, which threads the sea between mainland Russia and northern Japan. Seen from Kunashir, the snow-sheathed mountains of northern Japan tower on the horizon, but there’s no regular passenger service to connect the two worlds.
A recent flurry of talks between Tokyo and Moscow has brought speculation that the Kremlin may be willing to hand some of the islands, seized by the Red Army in the closing days of World War II, back to Japan.
Such a move could help Putin win closer ties with one of the United States’ most important allies. Russian nationalists have staged demonstrations across the country insisting that Putin must not give up an inch of Russian land.
But in the Kurils themselves, the debate highlights more existential questions. What does it mean to live in Russia? What would happen if your home suddenly turned Japanese?
And is this really, as the plaque next to a tank by the beach insists, “primordial Russian soil”?
It’s not clear sailing for Russia, which think is a fascinating counterpoint to the far-right conservatives in our own neck of the world. That is, both are willing to ignore painful historical facts in order to pursue nationalist agendas. In some ways, it connects both countries, doesn’t it? We both have our loonies.
