of the islands to the Soviet Union stipulates Russian sovereignty over the Kurils , which Tokyo classifies as its northern territories . “ We are n’t doing this and we wo n’t do this , we wo n’t give the Kuril Islands and we wo n’t beg Japan for a peace agreement , ” Lavrov said during a live linkup on kp.ru . After a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier in May , Japan ’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that he suggested a new approach to Kuril Islands ' dispute .