Vladimir Putin’s first-ever visit to the Northern Territories drew an immediate protest from Tokyo — and raised questions about why the Russian president chose to make the trip now.

Within hours of Russian state media reports of the Russian leader’s visit to the island of Etorofu to observe Russia’s Pacific Fleet exercises, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi protested the visit, arguing that the Northern Territories “are Japan’s inherent territory both historically and under international law.”

Shortly after, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi added that “this visit can only be said to have further hardened anti-Russia sentiment within Japan and made medium- to long-term recovery of relations more difficult.”