Russian Foreign Ministry Summons German Ambassador, Lambsdorff.
The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the German ambassador to Moscow, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, on August 4, 2025, in protest against statements made by the German ambassador to Japan, Petra Sigmund. Russia claimed that Sigmund's statements questioned Russian sovereignty over the southern Kuril Islands, a territory Russia considers undisputed post-World War II and recognized by the United Nations.
The ongoing dispute involves the southern Kuril Islands, claimed by both Russia and Japan. Russia asserts its sovereignty based on the post-war order, while Japan contests this claim. The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned Germany for allegedly supporting Japan’s position by hosting Sigmund’s visit near the disputed islands, calling it "particularly mocking" given the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Moscow warned Germany not to question these territorial arrangements established after the war.
Germany rejected the accusations, with Ambassador Lambsdorff stating that the protest was hypocritical, as Russia is simultaneously violating Ukraine’s sovereignty with military aggression. Lambsdorff highlighted that Russia’s revisionism threatens the international order, contravening basic principles of European peace and the UN Charter.
The summons was part of Russia’s diplomatic protest against what it views as Germany's implicit support for Japan’s territorial claims over the southern Kurils, which Russia maintains as its sovereign territory following the post-World War II settlement recognized internationally.
During a visit to the Japanese city of Nemuro on the island of Hokkaido near the southern Kurils, Ambassador Lambsdorff reportedly criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine in public. This visit was used as a pretext for protest by the Russian Foreign Ministry. However, Lambsdorff has since rejected the accusations made against him.
The dispute remains sensitive due to its historical roots and current geopolitical tensions involving Russia, Japan, Germany, and Ukraine. The German embassy in Moscow has rejected the accusation that Ambassador Lambsdorff's statements supposedly violated Russian sovereignty. The Russian embassy in Germany, on the other hand, previously summoned Ambassador Lambsdorff to inform him about "retaliatory measures" in response to the alleged persecution of Russian journalists in Germany. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry's protest note to Germany did not mention the alleged persecution of Russian journalists in Germany as a reason for the summons.
Russia's Foreign Ministry stated that the post-war order regarding the southern Kuril Islands is recognized by the United Nations, and Russian sovereignty over the islands is undisputed. Germany was reminded that siding with Japan's territorial claims over the southern Kuril Islands would be particularly offensive in the year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the defeat of militaristic Japan.
The German embassy in Moscow has stated that Russia is currently violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine on a daily basis with several hundred thousand soldiers. This violation of international law and basic principles of European peace has been a recurring issue in the relations between Russia and its Western counterparts. The southern Kuril Islands dispute adds another layer of complexity to these already strained relations.
- Amidst the ongoing political discourse, the southern Kuril Islands dispute has raised questions of international order, as Russia accuses Germany of supporting Japan's territorial claims over the islands, while Germany denounces Russia's own questionable actions in Ukraine.
- The recent summons of Germany's ambassador to Moscow by Russia highlights the complex interplay between war-and-conflicts, politics, general-news, and historical grievances in the Russian-Japanese-German triad, which is further complicated by Russia's actions in Ukraine.
