Defense & Security

NATO, Japan, 3 Other Nations to Meet at Summit in U.S.; Topics of Discussion Expected to Include Ukraine, China

AP file photo
Flags of NATO member countries blow in the wind outside the NATO headquarters in Brussels on March 14.

By Hiroshi Tajima / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

16:02 JST, July 6, 2024

WASHINGTON — The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is scheduled to hold a summit meeting with Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand on Thursday on the sidelines of a NATO summit, which is set to begin Tuesday in Washington, a U.S. government official said Friday.

NATO and the four countries are expected to discuss cyber affairs, countermeasures against false information and Ukraine aid, while keeping China and Russia in mind.

The four countries are invited as cooperative partners in the Indo-Pacific region, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to attend.

According to the U.S. government official, China assisting Russia’s defense industry will be on the agenda, and NATO and the four countries will likely discuss strong wording to address the issue.

Aid to Ukraine will be the main topic of discussion, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to take part in the talks.

The U.S. government official also said that the United States will present new military aid packages for Ukraine.

During the summit, U.S. President Joe Biden, who is chairing the NATO summit, is planning to hold separate meetings with participating leaders including Zelenskyy.

Biden plans to hold a press conference alone on Thursday, the last day of the summit.