The ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine has pushed Japan to implement new defense and national security policies. This includes increasing defense spending to 2% of the nation’s GDP by 2027—a historic 60% increase that will result in Japan having the third-largest defense budget in the world. In addition to updating its national security policies, Japan is committed to strengthening its relationship with Ukraine. Since the start of the war, the Japanese government has sent the country military equipment and humanitarian assistance, among other initiatives. In this Q&A, Claudia Jacobo interviews Paul O’Shea on how the Russia-Ukraine conflict has affected Japan’s outlook on the Indo-Pacific security environment.
Read the full interview here