World
Residents of Russian-Held Island Say Japan's Territorial Claims Are Unrealistic
Seventy years after Japan and the Soviet Union normalized relations, residents of a Russian-controlled island north of Japan — which a 1956 agreement had been expected to return to Tokyo — say that outcome now looks far-fetched. In interviews cited by Kyodo News, islanders expressed skepticism about any transfer, citing realities on the ground and historical factors. The territorial dispute remains a sensitive point in Japan-Russia relations.