NATO chief stresses Indo-Pacific partnership in Keio University speech

well said Peter14...

A French man says, "when I go to work, I take public transportation, when I travel arouund Europe, I drive my Peugot"

A Russian replies, "when I go to work, I too take public transportation, when I go to Europe, I drive a tank"

Russian tanks rolled through eastern Europe...Prague, Budapest...none of this history is lost on Europeans...

NATO is s defensive organization that does not control the political workings of democracy in member states - look at the democracy that is Sweden and contrast that with what Turkey's definition of democracy...

Compare that with Russia...they control every aspect of a country they control...

Before I read the comments, I was already imagining the ridiclous vitriol that @Blacklabel would be spewing. It was as expected. Such an angry person! Life must be so much fun. LOL.

No, you’ve got to focus on the message and not the messenger. You’ve admitted you’re biased but you’re missing his points and more interested in attacking the poster than the post itself.

We’re all here for the perspectives but it’s easy to be blinded by bias.

Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999. That's 24 years - almost as long as my son has been alive, and he just got married. Don't tell me that is not due to the fact that the Russian state is based on corruption.

Still, perhaps someday, Russia will truly democratize, clean itself up, and be welcome to join NATO as well. It would be truly welcome - once it meets the standards.

what part of the North Atlantic is China again?

On another planet, China is right next to America.

Please, someone tell this warmonger to go home. Let Asians live in peace. They don't want to be involved in your wars.

Baker promised Gorbachov that NATO would not expand after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The fatal mistake Gorby made was to not get that in writing and no wonder he wasn't popular in Russia. Five times NATO expanded, getting closer and closer until it was on Russia's doorstep, with the three midgets joining NATO. And there may be a sixth. In the early 2000s Putin had even requested cooperation and a willingness to join NATO but was rebuffed each time. NATO is anything but defensive. Ask the Serbs who were bombed mercilessly. Innocent people, including children, died, including those inside the Chinese embassy. One of the most prosperous countries in Africa, Libya, was completely destroyed by NATO, just because Gaddafi dared suggest the establishment of a pan-African currency instead of relying on the dollar. Makes me sick to see Hillary Clinton make jokes and laugh at his death on prime TV. We came, we saw, he died. Cackle, cackle, cackle.

NATO is an authoritarian organization, though... They just want to get what they want...

... at ALL cost!

Russia is an authoritarian, fascist regime, though... They just want to get what they want...

... at ALL cost!

Fixed it for you.

BlacklabelToday 04:58 pm JST

"the idea China doesn't matter for NATO doesn't work."

what part of the North Atlantic is China again?

The part of china that keeps supplying missiles to N. Korea to fire at Japan.

And the part that supplies hacker army to make it look like state-sponsored hacking cases came from N. Korea.

Also, the part that disguises its soldiers and para-military as Hong Kong police in order to beat up and torture pro-democracy Hong Kongers.

The article does not even mention Japan paying any money to NATO.

Of course it doesn’t. Because he is setting the table before he asks for money and/or weapons.

Didn’t he ask South Korea (his last stop) to contribute?

hint: yes he did.

NATO secretary general urges South Korea to allow direct arms exports to Ukraine

SeigiToday 04:49 pm JST

NATO is an authoritarian organization, though... They just want to get what they want...

... at ALL cost!

A complete misrepresentation of NATO that fits the authoritarian narrative.

NATO is a defensive organization that provides for collective defense. An attack on any member is considered an attack on all members and all members are obliged to assist the member that has been attacked including with military assistance.

Autocrats like to portray NATO as hostile and dangerous, but they have never invaded a nation for the purpose of territorial expansion of any member. There was involvement in the ongoing war between Kosovo and Serbia as ethnic cleansing was happening as it did in the breakup of Yugoslavia when Serbs, Croats and Muslims all committed atrocities on each other of varying magnitudes.

I am sure there will follow comments that dispute what I have written, as there are always going to be differing viewpoints on any conflict.

Russia invades for control and territorial expansion where as NATO helps people, assisted Kosovo to defend itself, and it defends its own members as it did when the US was attacked on 9/11. NATO is currently providing material assistance and military intelligence to Ukraine as it resists the Russian invasion.

The Idea of mutual defense is not new and is part of most military alliances. NATO members like most nations around the world have trade interests for import and export with partners all around the world. Wanting to have stable and peaceful trade that remains uninterrupted by invasions of one country by another is in their interest as it is with most nations that trade around the world.

Those people who suggest that since NATO is located outside of East Asia, they should not involve themselves in that region, simply do not understand the Global nature of trade relationships, and seem stuck centuries in the past where most nations only traded with close neighbors or others in their immediate region.

Nations that do not attack NATO members, or seek territorial expansion through invasion, do not commit or try to commit genocide or ethnic cleansing especially in Europe or the America's, have nothing to fear from NATO. Everyone knows that. But some see advantage in attacking NATO's existence for their own gains. As Russia has used it as part of its bag of excuses for invading Ukraine and trying to annex its territory.

NATO expansion to other stable democracies or nations around the world would be a good thing. It makes those nations safer from attack from outside the organization and provides for dispute resolution for members who find themselves at odds.

M3M3M3Today 06:26 pm JST

"We are more than ready to further strengthen and expand the partnership with countries in this region," he added.

They want to turn Japan into a staging ground for a future war with China. Have no illusions about this.

In a future war with china, Japan will be sucked in no matter what they do or how much they want to avoid it. So NATO & Japan might as well be pro-active rather than passive.

The part of china that keeps supplying missiles to N. Korea to fire at Japan.

You all actually think the US can’t get rid of Putin? The U.S. needs Russia to keep the war going. There is no desire to end the war. The same with China. Where would the US be without their boogeymen?

A stronger Russia is a bigger threat to the US, Europe and the world.

Nothing is a bigger threat to the world than the US and it's allies

Wrong part of the world pal.

Many are in support of NATO expansion, but NOT the return of Colonialism, the world has suffered so much at the hands of many NATO members before and after it's formation.

NATO in Japan or Australia would be difficult. If those countries were attacked the logistics of getting NATO troops and weapons halfway across the world.

Allies agreed NATO's civil and military budgets for 2023 at a meeting of the North Atlantic Council on Wednesday (14 December 2022). The civil budget is set at €370.8 million, and the military budget is set at €1.96 billion, representing a 27.8% and 25.8% increase, respectively, over 2022.

He asked South Korea to send arms to Ukraine, which isn't arms to NATO.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Look at a map.

DT,why would Chinese shut sea lanes to their number one customer the US

we aren’t giving Russia free weapons and billions in cash under the expectation that they aren’t corrupt, are we?

No your helping the nation that wants to be better than it is, to survive against a nation more corrupt, and if it gets its way will incorporate Ukraine into its fold and increase the corruption there back to the higher levels Russia has. Strengthening Russia for whomever it invades next in Europe. In effect inaction assists Russia. A stronger Russia is a bigger threat to the US, Europe and the world. So why are you complaining that your nation is taking actions to provide the best outcome for Europe and for the US?

The North Atlantic Treaty

Washington D.C. - 4 April 1949

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_17120.htm

NATO is a treaty!!!

It is not a means to politically encourage to right wrongs.

Sorry to rain politicly on a number of prarades.

Ukraine is not a member. First and foremost.

Never has been

So where does this live us, NATO politically cannot, as an entity under the Treaty, provide as a combined force front line logistics, full naval or aircraft support

Individually, well it is a matter of opinion.

The really is war, possibly all out

NATO is trigger-happy, to use an metaphor, and for this NATO was criticized but not enough. NATO bombed civilian populations in discriminately. According to a university website NATO apparently, made no distinction between pro- and anti-Milosovich town. At any rate they killed innocent civilians. This included a baby Serbian girl who was blown up as she sat on her potty.

The people who came to NATO are crude in word if not in deed. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenber is a loose canon and a troublemaker, as this shows:

"Although he said China was not an adversary, the NATO chief said the country was becoming a 'more and more authoritarian power' that was displaying assertive behaviour, threatening Taiwan, and developing military capabilities that could also reach NATO countries."

This is a provocation. The reference to Taiwan could disrupt the delicate relationship with the People's Republic and Taiwan.

NATO is not needed in Japan. NATO go away.

Peter14,American are the power behind NATO and lots of American do not support defending European or anybody,

So I said that NATO needs to keep their hands out of the Japanese taxpayer pockets

That s not how NATO works. NATO countries have reached an agreement to spend 2% of their GDP on defense. They also agree to use the same kind of weapons so that they can train together.

There is a small running budget, 20% is paid by the US, and the rest by other members.

So what Japanese taxpayer money are you referring to?

May are in support of NATO expansion, but NOT the return of Colonialism, the world has suffered so much on the of many members of NATO before and after it's formation.

So what Japanese taxpayer money are you referring to?

Why is this NATO guy in Japan if not for trying to get money?

Stoltenberg made the comments as part of a visit to Japan, during which he pledged to strengthen ties with Tokyo

NATO in Japan or Australia would be difficult.

Even more difficult considering what the N and the A in NATO stand for.

This is the consequences of Russian aggression and invasion.

Russia is the largest country on planet Earth. It became that way by killing, conquer, taking land by force.

Look at a map, Europe is forced into a corner, EU and NATO exist because of Russian aggression, half of Germany once belong to Russian expansion and aggression. They even tried to take over Afghanistan and expand in the middle East.

Why is this NATO guy in Japan if not for trying to get money?

Huh? What a simplistic world view. Very, very, very simple.

Liberal, legitimate, democracies need to stick together - if that's called NATO or some other permutation - so be it - we have seen (as one poster put it - Putin being in power for almost as long as his son has been alive - tell me that's not about corruption?...and look at the performance on the battle-field?...tell me those funds didn't get misappropriated?...and currently - it seems the professional Russian army is being augmented by convicts serving as mercenaries...so very much to be proud of Putin and company...by CONTRAST - in liberal democracies - where we like our own fair and honest versions of democracy - we like NATO - so it's no surprise Japan would be motivated to be closer to NATO - indeed wouldn't any liberal democracy?...

For a definition of democracy - likely depending upon where you are - you cannot find a legitimate definition -

Churchill once said, "the worst for of government is democracy - Except for all the rest"

Nato's Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg travelling half way across the world to Japan to talk with Japanese Prime MInister Fujio Kinsashi about Taiwan and China? Nato has nothing to do with Asia. Can Nato mind its own business? China and Taiwan are not Nato's business.

NATO has always been a puppet of the rogue state of the USA and Japan should distance themselves from both. Go home Stoltenbug.

DT,why would Chinese shut sea lanes to their number one customer the US

China has already declared that all ships passing through the South China Sea must obtain the permission of the Chinese government to do so. So far nobody does, pretty much giving a big middle finger to the middle kingdom but as China's air and naval power increase there may come a day where they attempt to enforce that decree. When that day comes the you-know-what will hit the fan. The trend lines are all pointing in that direction. The most likely scenario would be during an attempt to invade Taiwan. China will want to protect their access to those choke points by denying others access to them.

Maybe instead of asking me such questions maybe you should ask the Chinese where they think they can tell other nations to ask their permission to sail through what the rest of the world considers to be international waters, Nine Dash Lines and other bs Chinese territorial claims notwithsanding.

Blacklabel

It's very easy to visit the NATO site to understand how the budget works. As you already know, Japan could only become a NATO member with the permission of all the other countries. Japan is not eligible to join NATO because of its geographical location.

The article does not even mention Japan paying any money to NATO.

I already post the budget for 2023.

Japan has been building its collaboration with NATO for a little more than a decade in order to discuss shared security challenges and promote defense collaboration. The country participated in a NATO summit for the first time when Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attended the alliance's 2022 event in Madrid.

The NATO table has been set for a decade. How much money did Japan actually pay during that time? NATO weapons have to be common to all the member countries.

NATO worked out for the US after the 9/11 attacks and was supported by other member countries.

what part of the North Atlantic is China again?

A great volume of trade to and from Europe passes though maritime choke points that China seeks to control and develop the ability to shut down, including the South China Sea, Straits of Malacca, Straits of Hormuz and the Red Sea. European nations in NATO have an understandable interest in keeping these sea lanes open. No single nation in Europe has the means to deal with a Chinese effort to exert maritime control in these regions but as a coalition, NATO allied with the US, Japan, Australia, Canada and other willing allies can very much resist Chinese efforts to shut these sea lanes down.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Look at a map.

Look at this map please. It depicts the high volume ocean shipping routes. It shows vividly how important routes through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, North Arabian Sea, Straits of Hormuz, Straits of Malacca and South China Sea are to European trade. It also shows the threat that Chinese naval bases in Djibouti, Gadwar Pakistan, Ream Cambodia and all those man made islands in the South China Sea along with the big Yulin naval base on Hainan are to European trade.

https://nicolasrapp.com/studio/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SHIPPING_MAP_hi_res.png

Don’t ask questions just put the taxpayer money in the bag over there. Or else.

all the while avoiding the fact that Russia is much more corrupt than Ukraine.

we aren’t giving Russia free weapons and billions in cash under the expectation that they aren’t corrupt, are we?

"We are more than ready to further strengthen and expand the partnership with countries in this region," he added.

They want to turn Japan into a staging ground for a future war with China. Have no illusions about this.

NATO is an authoritarian organization, though... They just want to get what they want...

... at ALL cost!

This is all in pure faith for democracy and freedom of people, with no agenda to sell weapons or benefit the military industrial complex.

Glad we are in good hands. -phew!

(see my user name)

This is a worse money grab tour than even the Olympics group.

the idea China doesn't matter for NATO doesn't work."

what part of the North Atlantic is China again?

NATO ....please go away.

Outside of semester time? What a bore this NATO chap is.