Reports of Russia Allegedly Giving Kuril Islands to Japan False - Kremlin

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that media reports claiming Russia handed the Kuril Islands to Japan are false.

Earlier, Japanese media reported that Russia gave the Kuril Islands to Japan for temporary use as a result of the meeting of the countries' leaders.

"We don't understand the source of this information, it does not reflect reality," Peskov said on Thursday.

The Kuril Islands are the subject of the long-standing territorial dispute between Russia and Japan. Japan lays claims to Kunashir, Iturup, Shikotan islands and the Habomai group of islets. The territorial dispute has prevented Russia and Japan from signing a peace treaty after World War II.

On December 15-16, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Japan to meet Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The sides agreed to establish joint economic activities on the islands in order to create favorable conditions for talks on a peace treaty between the countries.

Earlier, Russian authorities have repeatedly said that Russia's sovereignty over the islands is unquestionable. Putin said ahead of his visit to Japan that the Kuril Islands are an integral territory of Russia, which it rightfully received after the Second World War.

"Russia and Japan both sincerely want to sign this treaty and are looking for ways to do it. I only know that this endeavor should be supported at all costs," Putin said last November.