According to the historian, if you change all the names that did not come from the Russian language, then it seems possible to rename both Sakhalin and Moscow.
On April 22, for the first time since 2003, Japan designated the South Kuriles as “illegally occupied” by Russia. This wording is indicated in the Blue Book on Diplomacy, which records important milestones in the country’s foreign policy activities.
In addition, the preface to the book quotes the words of Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who said that the dialogue on a peace treaty between Japan and Russia “is not at a stage where one can talk about prospects.”
In response, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs Dzhabarov suggested that members of the Japanese administration recall the Act of Unconditional Surrender of Japan of 1945 in response to the designation of the South Kuriles as “illegally occupied” by Russia territories.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed that the four islands of the southern part of the Kuriles are an inalienable territory of the Russian Federation.
On March 21, the Russian Federation refused to negotiate a peace treaty with Japan. As a response to Tokyo’s actions, the Russian side stopped visa-free trips of the Japanese to the South Kuriles and withdrew from the dialogue with Japan on establishing joint economic activities in these territories. In addition, Russia is blocking the extension of Japan’s status as a partner of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in the sectoral dialogue.
As a result of World War II, Russia and Japan never signed a peace treaty. The main snag in reaching agreements is Tokyo’s claims to the South Kuriles. Japan still calls the islands of Kunashir, Iturup and a number of territories of the Lesser Kuril ridge its northern territories, although as a result of World War II they passed to the USSR.