For nearly 80 years, Russia and Japan have technically remained at war. While the guns fell silent in 1945, peace was never declared—and four disputed islands in the Pacific have kept tensions simmering ever since. Today we will dive deep into the Kuril Islands dispute, the last unresolved territorial conflict of World War II. From Stalin's surprise occupation in the final days of the war to modern military buildups, missile deployments, and diplomatic breakdowns, we explore why these remote volcanic islands have become a flashpoint in an increasingly tense Pacific. Check out my pure history channel: @HistoryWithStakuyi www.youtube.com/@HistoryWithStakuyi Travel with me to Crete https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/greece/greece-with-steven-bell-jun-02-2027 Travel with me to Slovenia https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/slovenia/slovenia-with-steven-bell-jun-2027 Travel with me on future trips https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/steven Check out my merch https://www.bunkerbranding.com/pages/stakuyi Support me on Patreon for extra content https://www.patreon.com/c/stakuyi For sources: Make sure to check out my Patreon, I will be posting all sources there for future videos for the public BUY MY COFFEE IT’S DELICIOUS https://tablowroastingco.com/products/stakuyi-lewis-dark Subscribe to my channels and let me know what more you would like to see. We organize games through Discord https://discord.com/invite/BJsRA6UpXx Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/stakuyi Podcast https://historyofeverythingpodcast.com/ Check out our sister podcast @MysteryOfEverythingPodcast Find us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/historyofeverythingpod/