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The Diplomat
a day ago
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Why Did Japan Skip the NATO Summit?
On June 23, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru canceled his attendance at the NATO summit held in The Hague from June 24 to 25. Ishiba had originally planned to attend to 'reaffirm with NATO allies and others the recognition that the security of Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific is inseparable,' according to an announcement from the Foreign Ministry. The Foreign Ministry cited 'various circumstances' for Ishiba's cancelation, which came a day after the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Japan – along with the other Indo-Pacific 4 (IP4) countries, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand – were invited to the annual NATO summit, as they have been every year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This year was the first time since then-Prime Minister Kishida Fumio attended in 2022 that the Japanese prime minister skipped the NATO summit. Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi attended the summit instead. During his 30-minute meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the two sides welcomed the progress in Japan-NATO relations since Rutte's visit to Tokyo in April, and 'concurred to work together to elevate the Japan-NATO cooperation to a new height in various fields, including the defense industry.' In a notable setback for this goal, however, a NATO official confirmed that NATO was not currently discussing opening a Tokyo liaison office. Japan had been pursuing such an office to strengthen ties with NATO at least since spring 2023, but France had opposed it due to concerns about China's backlash. Germany was also cautious. Also at the NATO summit, Iwaya had a 10-minute meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where they both agreed to support the ministerial-level negotiations on tariffs between the two countries and confirmed that they would communicate closely to maintain the Israel-Iran ceasefire. The 'various circumstances' alluded to with regards to Ishiba's cancelation likely included the U.S. strike on Iran – which would make a Japan-U.S. bilateral summit meeting difficult to schedule – and the decisions of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung to not attend – which made an IP4-U.S. summit meeting impossible. (New Zealand's prime minister was the only top leader from the IP4 countries present.) Another consideration is the upper house elections in Japan, now scheduled for July 20. Some in Japan have criticized Ishiba for not attending, arguing that the prime minister should have tried harder to get other regional countries to attend. Even with hindsight, it can be difficult to know what the right course of action was, but the limited amount of time between the U.S. strikes on Iran and the start of the summit would have severely constrained Ishiba's freedom of maneuver, even if Albanese and Lee would have been receptive to foreign interference. Such criticism also seems to miss how dramatically the world has changed since the NATO summit of 2022, when Japan was shoulder-to-shoulder with its sole ally rallying international opinion against Russia's war. The NATO summit of 2025 occurred in a context where the U.S. has backtracked on support for Ukraine, and Japan faced a dilemma over how to respond to its ally's actions in Iran. Another possible reason that Ishiba stayed home was continued disagreement between the United States and Japan over Tokyo's defense spending and ample signals that allies' defense spending would be a key theme at the NATO summit. Japan is on track to meet its stated goal of spending 2 percent of its GDP on national security-related spending by 2027. According to a June 20 Financial Times report, however, a sudden demand from Washington for Tokyo to increase defense spending still further led Japan to cancelled the annual '2+2' security dialogue between the Japanese and U.S. foreign affairs and defense chiefs scheduled for July 1 in Washington, DC. However, it is unclear whether the meeting was 'canceled' or 'postponed.' From Japan's perspective, part of the problem is the ever-shifting goalposts for defense spending. U.S. officials have at times urged different benchmarks for defense spending, from 3 percent to 3.5 percent or even 5 percent of GDP. Earlier, in his written response to questions from U.S. senators, then-nominee for under secretary of defense for policy Elbridge Colby (who has since been confirmed) had answered that Japan should spend 'at least 3 percent of GDP on defense as soon as possible.' Following the agreement at the NATO summit that members will increase their defense and related spending to 5 percent of GDP, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt answered a reporter's question about U.S. Asia-Pacific allies: 'If our allies in Europe and our NATO allies can do it, I think our allies and our friends in the Asia-Pacific region can do it as well.' Following the NATO summit, a senior Japanese government official acknowledged, 'There's no doubt that the United States will step up its demands.' An expert panel is currently reviewing the next Defense Buildup Program within the Ministry of Defense, and there is a widespread view within the ministry that increasing Japan's defense spending is inevitable given the severe security environment. However, it is still unclear where the additional funding would come from. The previous Kishida Cabinet had decided to raise income taxes to achieve the 2 percent target yet the timing for the tax hike has not been determined yet.
The Mainichi
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Mainichi
Japan PM's last-minute no-show at NATO summit questioned at home
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is facing criticism from within his own party over his last-minute decision to skip a NATO summit in the Netherlands, at a time when fostering ties with the military alliance is seen as vital to counter China's rise in the Indo-Pacific. Ishiba's absence also gave rise to the view that he sought to avoid a situation in which Japan, a non-NATO member but close U.S. ally, would be pressed by U.S. President Donald Trump to spend more on its defense, as NATO leaders at the two-day meeting that ended Wednesday discussed substantially increasing defense spending. Ishiba had planned to make a three-day trip from Tuesday to attend the summit. But the Japanese government canceled the trip only a day before he was due to leave for The Hague, citing "various circumstances." It came after the United States notified other governments that Trump would not be attending a meeting between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners known as the IP4 -- Japan, along with Australia, South Korea and New Zealand. Ishiba's attendance would have made it the fourth straight year since 2022 that a sitting Japanese prime minister attended a NATO summit, underscoring the importance the country attaches to its deepening ties with the group, especially in the wake of Russia's war on Ukraine. "I don't understand why he had to cancel the trip despite all the preparations that went into it," said a lawmaker of the Liberal Democratic Party, which Ishiba heads. In his place, Japan sent Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to the gathering, which South Korea's new President Lee Jae Myung and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese likewise opted to skip. Ishiba has repeatedly said the security of the Euro-Atlantic and that of the Indo-Pacific are inseparable as he stressed the need for more cooperation between Japan and NATO. The military alliance, which has traditionally sought to respond to threats from Russia, has been expanding its outreach, acknowledging the challenges posed by China's growing military power in the Indo-Pacific. In response to "profound" security challenges, NATO leaders agreed Wednesday to commit to investing 5 percent of gross domestic product annually for defense and security-related spending by 2035. The agreement came when Japan is wary of further pressure from the Trump administration to increase defense outlays, despite already on course to boost related spending to 2 percent of GDP by fiscal 2027 in the face of an assertive China and North Korea's nuclear and missile development. Japan's current military buildup plan marks a drastic change given its war-renouncing Constitution and its commitment to using force only for self-defense that has limited any substantial increases in spending for decades. A Japan-U.S. diplomatic source had said earlier that the Trump administration presented a plan to the Japanese government to raise its defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP. The request is believed to have prompted Tokyo to call off a planned high-level meeting of diplomats and defense officials in Washington, ahead of a national election.
Japan Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Japan PM's no-show at NATO summit questioned at home
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is facing criticism from within his own party over his last-minute decision to skip a NATO summit in the Netherlands, at a time when fostering ties with the military alliance is seen as vital to counter China's rise in the Indo-Pacific. Ishiba's absence also gave rise to the view that he sought to avoid a situation in which Japan, a non-NATO member but close U.S. ally, would be pressed by U.S. President Donald Trump to spend more on its defense, as NATO leaders at the two-day meeting that ended Wednesday discussed substantially increasing defense spending. Ishiba had planned to make a three-day trip from Tuesday to attend the summit. But the Japanese government canceled the trip only a day before he was due to leave for The Hague, citing "various circumstances." It came after the United States notified other governments that Trump would not be attending a meeting between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners known as the IP4 -- Japan, along with Australia, South Korea and New Zealand. Ishiba's attendance would have made it the fourth straight year since 2022 that a sitting Japanese prime minister attended a NATO summit, underscoring the importance the country attaches to its deepening ties with the group, especially in the wake of Russia's war on Ukraine. "I don't understand why he had to cancel the trip despite all the preparations that went into it," said a lawmaker of the Liberal Democratic Party, which Ishiba heads. In his place, Japan sent Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya to the gathering, which South Korea's new President Lee Jae Myung and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese likewise opted to skip. Ishiba has repeatedly said the security of the Euro-Atlantic and that of the Indo-Pacific are inseparable as he stressed the need for more cooperation between Japan and NATO. The military alliance, which has traditionally sought to respond to threats from Russia, has been expanding its outreach, acknowledging the challenges posed by China's growing military power in the Indo-Pacific. In response to "profound" security challenges, NATO leaders agreed Wednesday to commit to investing 5 percent of gross domestic product annually for defense and security-related spending by 2035. The agreement came when Japan is wary of further pressure from the Trump administration to increase defense outlays, despite already on course to boost related spending to 2 percent of GDP by fiscal 2027 in the face of an assertive China and North Korea's nuclear and missile development. Japan's current military buildup plan marks a drastic change given its war-renouncing Constitution and its commitment to using force only for self-defense that has limited any substantial increases in spending for decades. A Japan-U.S. diplomatic source had said earlier that the Trump administration presented a plan to the Japanese government to raise its defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP. The request is believed to have prompted Tokyo to call off a planned high-level meeting of diplomats and defense officials in Washington, ahead of a national election. © KYODO
Scoop
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Luxon Departs NATO Summit After Meeting With Ukraine's Zelensky
The prime minister said his two days' attendance at the NATO summit was worthwhile for New Zealand, calling the alliance an important partner and praising commitments to defence spending and supporting Ukraine. At the summit in The Hague, the alliance's 32 European and North American countries agreed to increase their defence spending to 5 percent of GDP within a decade. Participants also agreed to an "ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty - that an attack on one is an attack on all", easing European fears that US President Donald Trump was wavering on that commitment. The final communique followed days of lavish praise from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, in the hope Trump - who had been sceptical of the alliance - would not derail the summit. At a news conference on Wednesday morning (local time), Rutte went as far as saying "sometimes Daddy needs to use strong language," when asked about Trump's expletive-laden quip at Israel and Iran on Tuesday. But the deference seemed to work. After the summit, Trump confirmed his support for the alliance. "I left here differently," he told a news conference. "I left here saying that these people really love their countries, it's not a rip-off and we're here to help them protect their country." New Zealand is not a NATO member, so while the alliance's leaders were meeting in an auditorium in The Hague, Luxon was meeting with other partners including the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Australian deputy prime minister Richard Marles. He then held a bilateral meeting with Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelensky. "I think he's feeling incredibly supported," Luxon said after the meeting. "I think, you know, this is a big win for Ukraine as well. Because clearly there'll be a big investment here that's been committed to, and a significant amount of that money will go into Ukraine ultimately." There had been concern that support for Ukraine could be diluted compared to previous NATO summits, particularly with Trump's past antipathy towards Zelensky. But the final communique included a line promising further support to Ukraine, noting that its "security contributes to ours". However, it stopped short of directly condemning Russia. PM meets with IP4 allies After that meeting, Rutte met with Luxon, Marles and the foreign ministers of Japan and South Korea for a gathering of a grouping that's been dubbed the Indo-Pacific 4, or IP4. "We have that relationship and the Pacific countries … not because we want to extend NATO to the Indo-Pacific, but because we have friends in the Indo-Pacific," he said. "There is a lot of use and importance in making joint analysis of the security threats facing us here, and what is happening in the Indo-Pacific knowing that these two areas, these two theatres, are getting more interconnected." Luxon said that collaboration could ultimately make things more cost-effective for New Zealand. "As we go through our asset upgrades and our defence capability being built out, there's a real need for us to plug into some of those procurement exercises as well so we can get more value for the money that we're spending," he said. "I think there's huge opportunities in that." The prime minister has spent two days walking the corridors and halls of this venue which has taken over half the centre of The Hague, with helicopters circling above and snipers perched on rooftops. He held formal meetings with 11 leaders - including breakfast with the new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney - and had brief interactions with many more on the sidelines or at a state dinner at the Dutch King's palace on Tuesday. 'Historic' NATO meeting "It's been a pretty historic NATO in the regard of a commitment to spending, which has been really important," Luxon said." Throughout, Luxon has tried to stress that any pressure that had been placed upon NATO members to increase defence spending did not apply to New Zealand. The prime minister said the fact everyone had increased their spending underscored the "existential threat to democracy" posed by the war in Ukraine. "There's a crisis unifying this region very, very quickly. That has focused the minds and actually made all the countries come together to make this commitment, which is no mean feat." He described the countries as having mature MMP environments with multi-party coaltions, and being a coalition themselves as a NATO block. "To be able to pull all that together, to focus, to get to the outcome and the commitment in place, is really important." Luxon said the war in Ukraine came up in every conversation he had had. In his meeting with Indo-Pacific 4 grouping, representatives had reaffirmed support for Ukraine and committed to working together to make purchasing defence equipment more efficient. "As we all are increasing our defence spending, we don't want to see the price of defence assets going up and defense companies making increased margins." He said it was a "real opportunity" for countries to work together on procurement, and get efficiency, scale and interoperability into the purchases. In particular, he raised the concern that an increase in defence spending would result in huge amounts of money going toward the defence industry. "Because each country comes with its own bespoke asks and they want some customisation, some difference, you end up paying for that." Luxon said their conversations included a desire to work together to get a "maximum return" to "genuinely upgrade your capability." "You just don't want to pay more for delivering the same capability." He wouldn't charactise New Zealand as being at the "back of the queue" of the arms race, given a step up in the country's budget as well. He also indicated the developing defence industry in New Zealand that could benefit by contributing to European procurement. He said there was a connection between the Euro-Atlantic and Pacific region, and affirming that was also about differentiating themselves from the countries supporting Russian in the war against Ukraine. Luxon said that highlighted the separation in simple terms. He also said he'd raised with China the need to use any influence it has over North Korea and Russia to reduce harm in the war against Ukraine. Luxon spoke about a "coordinated" and "concerted" effort bilaterally by "those four powers" Iran, China, North Korea and Russia "against the West."
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Security adviser to discuss defense industry with NATO partners
Wi Sung-lac, South Korea's national security adviser, is expected to attend a meeting with the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) nations Wednesday, where they are expected to address cooperation in defense industry projects. Wi is currently visiting the Netherlands to attend the summit in place of President Lee Jae Myung, who decided Sunday not to participate, citing the need to monitor the potential economic fallout from the Iran-Israel conflict. On Tuesday evening, Wi attended a dinner hosted by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and engaged with European figures, according to the presidential office. 'The discussions will focus on areas of potential cooperation, particularly within pilot defense industry projects currently underway,' a senior presidential official said, referring to Wi's planned participation in the IP4 session. The IP4 — comprising South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand — are NATO's key partners in the Indo-Pacific region. The group has held annual meetings with NATO since 2022 to deepen cross-regional security cooperation. This year's IP4 session was initially planned as a high-level meeting involving the leaders of the IP4 countries, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and US President Donald Trump. NATO also mentioned the expected lineup during a press briefing Sunday. Following President Lee's decision not to attend, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba announced his absence on Monday. Trump was also confirmed not to attend the IP4 session, with NATO officials stating in a press briefing on Tuesday that the meeting would proceed without US participation due to 'scheduling issues.' Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had already opted out of the summit earlier this year. With the absence of key leaders, it remains unclear whether Rutte will join the session. Currently, only New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon remains among the four IP4 leaders. Along with South Korea's Wi, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles are reportedly expected to attend Wednesday's IP4 meeting in their leaders' place.
