Russia has scrapped an agreement with Japan to allow Japanese former residents to visit disputed islands off Hokkaido without visas, triggering a protest Tuesday from Tokyo as tensions between the two nations remain high over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian government released a document Monday signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin regarding its unilateral withdrawal from the agreement, a decision that a Russian lawmaker attributed to Japan's participation in Western sanctions against Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
Under the reciprocal program, visas are also waived for travel to Japan by residents of the Russian-held, Japan-claimed islands, known as the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.