Japan's Prime Minister met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss deepening cooperation and the war in Ukraine

Shigeru Ishiba and Mark Rutte discussed strengthening Japan's partnership with NATO and the impact of the war in Ukraine on global security. Rutte's visit underscores the interconnectedness of security in the Indo-Pacific regions and Europe, heightened by the Russian invasion in 2022. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani expressed Japan's interest in joining the NATO Command in support of Ukraine, in the context of expanding NATO activities in the Indo-Pacific region.