If Russia delivers South Kuril Islands to Japan, they will fall under obligations of the United States in accordance with the fifth article of the Japanese-US treaty of mutual cooperation and security guarantees
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President Putin said earlier that the islands could become a uniting factor, rather than an apple of discord
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In 2016, it was reported that Russia deployed Bastion systems on the Kuril Islands - Iturup and Kunashir. Missile complexes Bal were also deployed on the islands
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The systems will monitor Russian territorial waters, straits and protect naval bases. Experts said that the deployment of state-of-the-art missile systems on the Kuril Islands signalled Russia's determination to retain the territory.
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Japan sent a note of protest to Russia after the latter named previously unnamed islands of the Kuril chain. Tokyo disputes the territorial affiliation of some of those islands
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if Russia delivers the islands under the sovereignty of Japan, they will fall under the security treaty between Japan and the United States. In this case, the USA will be able to build army bases there or radar stations - anything
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The USA will have to protect the islands like the entire territory of Japan.
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All the islands are currently under Russian jurisdiction. Japan claims the two southernmost large islands (Iturup and Kunashir) as part of its territory, as well as Shikotan and the Habomai islets, which has led to the ongoing Kuril Islands dispute. The disputed islands are known in Japan as the country's "Northern Territories"
All photos by Vadim Savitsky