# Putin spent decades offering Japan a Kuril Islands compromise. Why did he talk about Russians’ ‘genetic code of winners’ on his first visit?

https://mins.news/en/item/21566

- Meduza, 2026-08-13 19:27 UTC
- World
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/08/13/for-decades-putin-has-offered-japan-a-compromise-on-the-kuril-islands-so-why-on-his-first-visit-to-the-islands-this-week-did-he-talk-about-russians-genetic-code-of-winners-instead

> Since taking power, Vladimir Putin had pursued a peace treaty with Japan while asserting Russian sovereignty over the Kuril Islands and citing the 1956 declaration as a basis for talks. After Japan joined Western sanctions in 2022, Russia halted negotiations and scaled back joint activities. Putin finally visited the islands on August 12, 2026, saying Russians possess a “genetic code of winners.”

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- [Putin angers Japan with first visit to Kuril Islands](https://mins.news/en/item/20876) — DW, 2026-08-13
- [Japan protests Putin visit to disputed Kuril island](https://mins.news/en/item/20846) — BBC News, 2026-08-13