Not good time for Abe to seek a deal with Putin over disputed islands

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to visit Moscow on April 27, seeking to deepen his country's economic ties with Russia in an effort to resolve the two countries' dispute over four islands off Hokkaido. His frequent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin have helped them build familiarity, but not necessarily trust.

The islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuril Islands in Russia, were controlled by Soviet troops in the closing days of World War II. The territorial dispute has prevented Japan and Russia from signing a peace treaty that would formally end their World War II hostilities.

Abe has said he will do "whatever it takes" to sign a treaty with Russia to end the dispute. Since taking office for the second time in late 2012, he has launched a charm offensive toward Putin with the lure of economic cooperation with Russia, whose economy has been hit by low oil prices and Western sanctions. Abe has hoped the economic arrangements would pave the path for significant progress on the dispute.