Ukraine Recognizes That Russia Occupied Japan's Northern Territories

The Verkhovna Rada recognized that Russia occupied the Northern territories of Japan.

A total of 287 MPs voted for the draft resolution 8108, with the minimum required 226, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

According to the adopted statement, the Verkhovna Rada:

• declares support for Japan's position regarding its Northern Territories;
• acknowledges that the specified territories continue to be under the occupation of the Russian Federation;
• calls on the international community to continue taking all possible measures for the contractual and legal status of Japan's Northern Territories;
• appeals to the United Nations, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the GUAM Parliamentary Assembly, and the national parliaments of foreign countries for consistent support and appropriate actions regarding the settlement of the status of Japan's Northern Territories.

The problem of the Northern Territories is a territorial border dispute between Japan and Russia regarding the ownership of the southern islands of the Kuril Range - Iturup, Kunashyr, Shykotan and Khabomay. It arose as a result of the occupation of the islands by Soviet troops in 1945 during the Japanese-Soviet war, a component of World War II.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Verkhovna Rada supported the right of the peoples of the Russian Federation to self-determination.