In the third year of the war in Ukraine, NATO is set to deepen relations with its four Indo-Pacific partners, which are not part of the military alliance but are gaining prominence as Russia and China forge closer ties to counter the United States. The leaders of New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea will attend the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., while Australia will send its deputy prime minister. China is closely monitoring the summit, concerned about NATO's expanding interests beyond Europe and the Western Hemisphere.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the evolving global landscape, emphasizing the need to break down barriers between European alliances, Asian coalitions, and other partners worldwide. The U.S. aims to strengthen ties with countries sharing security concerns as competition intensifies between the U.S. and China.
