Russia bans Japan from fishing around disputed Kuril islands

Russia is suspending an agreement that allows Japanese fishing companies to harvest in waters near the disputed Kuril Islands.

During a visit to Vladivostok, Yury Trutnev, the presidential envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, said that Japan "has refused to pay for the quotas of fish caught in front of the Kuril islands, so their rights will be withdrawn," according to news agency Interfax on Friday.

The Kuril Islands are a group of islands in the Pacific ocean rich in fish, which were taken from Japan by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II. However, disputes have continued around the four southernmost islands, to the extent that there has not been a peace accord between the two countries.

In recent years it seemed as though Russia and Japan were getting closer to settling the issue, but since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Japan has joined in on western sanctions.

Tokyo recently banned the export of building machinery and load vehicles to Russia. Since March, Moscow has paused the peace negotiations with Japan.

Tokyo subsequently spoke of an "illegal occupation" of the islands. Now, the Russian ban on Japanese fishing threatens to escalate the conflict further.