Allied Pacific Leaders Snub NATO Summit Amid U.S. Military Spending Pressure

The upcoming NATO summit in The Hague, scheduled amid escalating conflicts in the Middle East and renewed demands from Washington for higher defense spending, has taken an unexpected turn as prominent Indo-Pacific allies of the United States are opting out of attending. Japan, South Korea, and Australia—nations critical to America’s strategy countering China’s regional ambitions—will not send their heads of state or government to this year’s NATO gathering. This absence is notable given that these countries were invited as key partners in the Indopacific region, a theater increasingly vital for U.S. national security interests. Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba abruptly...