Political Pulse

Japan Must Stand Up for the Rule of Law; Trump Steering U.S. Away from This Key Value

Reuters file photo
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., Feb. 28.

By Yuko Mukai / The Yomiuri Shimbun

8:00 JST, March 8, 2025

On Feb. 24, the three-year anniversary of the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a vote on a resolution condemning Russia in the U.N. General Assembly shockingly laid bare the fundamental changes taking place in the world under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The United States, along with Russia and North Korea, which sent troops to fight against Ukraine, were all on the same side in opposing the resolution condemning Russia for the aggression. At the same time, the United States started talks with Russia about Ukraine — talks that were held without Ukraine — and has not provided a clear vision or “security guarantees” that can prevent another attempt by Russia to invade Ukraine.

Trump’s approach stands in sharp contrast to that of the former administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, which led the United States and the world to support Ukraine. Biden’s appeal to protect Ukrainian democracy from aggression by a tyrannical state has inspired people in East Asia who understand that what is happening in Ukraine today could happen in East Asia tomorrow, spurring them toward efforts to strengthen their own defense and deterrence capabilities.

The recent drastic shift in the U.S. stance towards this war has shaken the international community. According to Japanese officials, the United States had initially said that it would join Japan and European countries in supporting the resolution condemning Russia, but it changed its position shortly before the vote, stating only that this was Trump’s intention. Japan was perplexed by this abrupt about-face by its ally, but at the conclusion of discussions within the government, Tokyo’s position of “standing by Ukraine” remained unwavering.

Kazuyuki Yamazaki, Japan’s U.N. ambassador, made Japan’s position clear by calling for the support of an international order based on the “rule of law” in his speech at the United Nations before the vote.

“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is … a clear and blatant violation of international law including the U.N. Charter, as this General Assembly has repeatedly stated, and an act that fundamentally undermines the foundation,” Yamazaki said.

He went on: “If such violations were tolerated, it would set a dangerous precedent, returning us to a jungle dominated by brute force and coercion. For this very reason, it is imperative that we stand side by side with the people of Ukraine.”

So why is the rule of law so important to Japan? One answer lies in the geopolitical environment surrounding it. The Senkaku Islands in Okinawa Prefecture are subject to constant gray zone incursions by China. Beyond Okinawa, there is also Taiwan, which is the target of China’s military ambitions, and the Philippines, which is subject to China’s constant coercion in the South China Sea. As a neighbor of China, which is attempting to forcibly change the status quo with its military might, the rule of law must remain a line that Japan will never compromise on.

One can also understand why Japan places such importance on the rule of law in the context of modern Japanese history.

Japan experienced violations of international law in its relations with the former Soviet Union. It may not be widely known around the world, but Japan had a territorial dispute with the Soviet Union, and continues to have one with Russia, over the northern territories off Hokkaido.

At the end of World War II, the Soviet Union entered the war against Japan in violation of the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact. The Soviet Union occupied the northern islands after Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration, which made clear Tokyo’s intention to surrender. All Japanese residents on the four islands were forced to move out by 1948. Furthermore, there is no peace treaty between Japan and Russia, and Russia continues to present a threat to Japan.

If Japan were to allow an alteration of the status quo by force, it would also be condoning Russia’s illegal occupation of the northern territories. The importance of the rule of law for Japan is nonnegotiable.

Just four days after the shocking vote at the United Nations, the international community witnessed something even more surprising.

On Feb. 28, Trump and Vice President JD Vance had a heated exchange on camera with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was visiting the White House with the expectation of signing a deal on strategic minerals.

In response to Zelenskyy’s repeated calls for U.S. security guarantees, Trump criticized him, saying, “You are gambling with World War III.” The confrontation between the two leaders exposed just how wide a gap exists between the United States and Ukraine, which prompted Europe to show more solidarity with Ukraine.

However, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was less clear than his European counterparts, stating in a March 3 Diet response that Japan “has no intention of taking either side. We would like to make efforts looking at how we can keep the U.S. involved and how we can ensure the overall unity of the G7 nations.” Ishiba also attempted to show understanding of the fierce attack on Zelenskyy by Japan’s treaty ally, saying, “I’m sure Mr. Trump had his own thoughts.”

This ambiguous statement and approach are very Japanese and reflect the national tendency of “not taking a position.” The Japanese government emphasizes that it will benefit Russia if the G7 is disrupted. However, the G7 is already in disarray. A more logical explanation is that the Japanese government is probably afraid of offending the White House by openly taking the Ukrainian side. This may be the result of a compromise based on political realities, but Ishiba’s statement falls far short of the mark.

Rather than place too much emphasis on how to deal with Trump, Japan should take a longer-term view.

The liberal international order, which includes concepts such as liberal democracy and the rule of law, is a set of values that have underpinned Japan since the end of World War II. For Japan, which came to grief in that conflict due to its prewar expansionism based on imperialism, the values of liberal democracy and the rule of law were absorbed through its new ally, the United States. These values are the foundation of the Japan-U.S. alliance and have supported Japan’s diplomacy for nearly 80 years.

Japan’s National Security Strategy published in December 2013 clearly stated, “The maintenance and protection of international order based on rules and universal values, such as freedom, democracy, respect for fundamental human rights, and the rule of law, are likewise in Japan’s national interests.”

The “free and open Indo-Pacific” advocated by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was a prominent example of Japan’s promotion of these values to the world.

As the only superpower, the United States led the world for decades. Now Japan’s only and indispensable ally is currently in a fierce competition with China, and it is also exhausted from making sacrifices for the world. It is Japan’s duty to let the United States know that it is not alone and contribute more to regional security and beyond. This is the only way two countries can stay on the same side.

It is no exaggeration to say that the end of the story of the Russian aggression against Ukraine will shape the course of the world’s future. Japan cannot be vague about the nation’s commitment to our shared values, such as freedom, democracy, and the rule of the law.

Political Pulse appears every Saturday.