By Guan Ruohe and Liu Wanjuan

According to media reports, Japan recently dispatched four Self-Defense Forces (SDF) officers to the command of NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine for the first time and contributed 2.2 billion yen (approximately 14.7 million US dollars) to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) assistance mechanism. Analysts say Japan's deeper involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its expanded military engagement with NATO are essentially aimed at further binding itself to the alliance, advancing NATO's "Indo-Pacificization," and accelerating its strategic objective of "remilitarization." Those moves have created serious risks for the security landscape in the Asia-Pacific.

For Japan, stationing SDF officers at NATO's Ukraine assistance command enables it to embed itself directly into NATO' s operational command chain, upgrading its role from "logistic support" to "planning and coordination." This not only allows Japan to gain operational experience but also to test its interoperability with NATO. Clearly, by participating in NATO's Ukraine assistance mechanism, Japan is seeking to shift its military cooperation with NATO from non-combat support toward operational cooperation. Analysts point out that Japan's aid to Ukraine is driven by ulterior motives, as it seeks to exchange "small favors" for much larger strategic returns. On the one hand, it aims to present itself to NATO as a "reliable collective security partner"; on the other, it seeks to secure diplomatic support, intelligence sharing, and logistic assistance from NATO when needed.

To advance its dangerous agenda of "remilitarization" and the so-called "preparation for protracted warfare," Japan has positioned itself at the forefront of NATO's "Indo-Pacificization," a move that is bound to pose a serious threat to regional security and could even undermine global security landscape.

First, Japan's aid to Ukraine could further intensify geopolitical tensions between Japan and Russia. In response to Japan's involvement in NATO's Ukraine-related activities, Russia has repeatedly issued warnings, accusing Tokyo of further damaging already strained bilateral relations. As Japan continues to expand its assistance to Ukraine, the room for strategic maneuver between the two countries on issues such as the territorial dispute over the Southern Kuril Islands and regional security has narrowed further. Russia could find itself shifting from being deeply engaged on the "European front" to facing strategic pressure on two fronts, potentially leading to a prolonged strategic confrontation with Japan.

Second, Japan's actions challenge the post-war international order and the global security architecture. The post-war international order is founded on the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, together with the post-war constraint imposed on defeated states. By using the NATO framework to bypass the United Nations and become involved in the Ukraine crisis, Japan is challenging the post-war international order and eroding the international system with the United Nations at its core.

Even more concerning is that Japan's push for NATO's "Indo-Pacificization" is increasing the risk of bloc confrontation. NATO 2022 Strategic Concept identifies Russia as "the most significant and direct threat," while Japan's 2026 Defense White Paper upgrades its characterization of China from "an unprecedented and greatest strategic challenge" to "the gravest, broadest, and most complex strategic challenge it has ever faced." In pursuit of its hidden agenda, Japan has repeatedly sought to build exclusive groupings, draw in external forces to fuel bloc confrontation, and pressure other countries to take sides for its own strategic benefit.

At present, the Asia-Pacific region remains generally secure and stable and continues to serve as the main engine of the global economy. Precisely for this reason, countries in the region and the broader international community should remain highly vigilant, resolutely curb the rise of Japan's "neo-militarism," guard against the spread of bloc confrontation across the Asia-Pacific, and work together to safeguard the post-war international order as well as regional peace and prosperity.

(Author affiliation: Joint Operations College, National Defense University of the Chinese PLA)