Japan and NATO are expanding their collaboration to enhance global security.
In an April 2025 meeting with NATO’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte in Tokyo, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani announced his country’s interest in participating in the Alliance’s support to Ukrainian. Japan has provided Ukraine with defense equipment and support. Joining the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine command in Wiesbaden, Germany, reflects evolving threats — like North Korean soldiers joining Russian troops in their war against Ukraine — that connect Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, leaders said.
“Both Japan and NATO face many challenges, and our security environment has become increasingly more severe,” Nakatani said during the talks, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Japan’s announcement reflects the broader geopolitics that meld European and Indo-Pacific security efforts, as those regions face evolving threats from China, North Korea and Russia. Rutte told the Japan Times newspaper that he expects NATO to follow the United States’ lead to boost engagement in the Indo-Pacific as a means of “projecting collective power,” in the region.
“When it comes to NATO as an Alliance becoming more involved in the Indo-Pacific, there is general agreement on this,” Rutte said. The European Union has also forged stronger ties in the region with a 2024 security defense pact with Japan and South Korea.
This increased cooperation comes amidst growing concerns about weapons buildup and cooperation among China, North Korea and Russia. Rutte described the Chinese Communist Party’s military buildup as “staggering” and called for an expanded defense-industrial partnership between NATO and the Indo-Pacific four (IP4) — Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.
“When you look at the buildup of the defense industrial base in China, when you look at the fact that they [now have] more navy ships sailing than the U.S., that they will [have] 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030, it’s absolutely clear that we cannot be naive about China,” Rutte told The Japan Times. “That’s the reason why we work so intensely together (with the IP4). What’s important now is that we deepen that cooperation.”
In recent months, Japan has taken numerous steps to strengthen security to counter these evolving threats. In January 2025, Japan opened a diplomatic mission to NATO in Brussels. The Japanese cabinet approved a record $55 billion defense budget for 2025 as part of a five-year buildup under its 2022 national security strategy. By 2027, the country’s defense spending will be 2% of gross domestic product, NATO’s guideline for member countries. The country announced plans to deploy U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles in 2025 as part of a “standoff defense system” that includes long-range missiles, satellite networks and unmanned systems, according to the AP. Japan also announced in April 2025 that it will domestically develop long-range, precision-guided missiles to “prevent and eliminate invading troops,” according to the Ministry of Defense.
Rutte also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and confirmed that the two will work closely to ensure stability in the region.
“A stronger NATO will benefit Japan greatly,” Ishiba said during a joint news conference after the talks, according to Kyodo News. “We welcome NATO’s increasing engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.”