Japan expressed interest Tuesday in participating in the NATO command for its Ukrainian mission based in Germany in what would be a major boost in ties with the largely European alliance.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani announced his country’s interest during talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Tokyo. After providing the war-torn country with defense equipment and support, Japan now wants to join NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, or NSATU, headquartered at a U.S. base in the German town of Wiesbaden.

Details of the mission, including the possibility of sending any Japan Self Defense Force members to Wiesbaden, were still to be discussed. But any Japanese cooperation was not expected to involve combat, in line with what has been Tokyo’s post-World War II tradition of limiting its military’s role.

Nakatani said Japan wants to further deepen security cooperation with NATO and that participation in the NSATU mission would help Tokyo learn lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Japan has said that Russia’s war on Ukraine underscores that security risks in Europe and Asia are inseparable, and Tokyo has sought closer ties with NATO while also joining the United States in expanding defense ties with other friendly nations in the Indo-Pacific.

Japan considers China a threat in the region and has in recent years accelerated its military buildup, including preparing to acquire strike-back capability with long-range cruise missiles.

NATO has stepped up its ties with Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, known as the IP4, in recent years, with their officials attending NATO ministerial and summit meetings.

159 points

Japan and Germany teaming up?

The more things change the more things stay the same

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174 points

Now we need to add “and team up with Japan” LMFAO

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29 points
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And America is part of the Axis of evil, did you get that, this is not 1941, you are still fighting Americans but as the good guys, did you copy. Just to be clear Russia is still the enemy.

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5 points

So Russia and USA are allies against Germany and Japan? Got it.

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5 points

Yes, but please remember the difference between “march through” and “invade”.

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0 points

Why not??

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35 points

except this time the coin is flipped

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6 points

Script looks exactly the same

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13 points

that is why i called it coin

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1 point
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Deleted by creator
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12 points

@UrPartnerInCrime at least we are not the baddies this time…

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8 points

Hans have you looked at our caps?

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26 points

“Have you looked at our tweets? They have crying immigrants in them.”

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10 points

I think I’ve read this story before but it seems so different

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71 points

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11 points

“But Japan. This time. DONT DO ANYTHING BEFORE YOU CONSULT ME!”

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51 points

…as the ‘un-official’ NATO participant, they have a point…Taiwan is real close and a good friend…

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45 points

Here’s hoping that Taiwan joins in. The more XP that none-Chinese nations in the Indo-Pacific get, the better they can resist unprovoked aggression.

America certainly isn’t fit to protect anyone decent.

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7 points
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Removed by mod
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1 point
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The same was said with Ukraine. The pot with China is going to keep itself stirring as long as Taiwan remains independent.

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6 points

Taiwan making any cooperative military action not coordinated by the US would likely kick off some serious shit. China’s not about to let that happen.

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4 points

Short of China attacking Russia to reclaim territory, I think war will inevitably come to Taiwan’s shores. The US, as it is, won’t protect anybody.

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Taiwan getting raped is definitely on my BINGO card. Humpty Trumpty won’t do anything to help.

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3 points

US standing up to China in the SCS is the only thing that I think is still at play for the US. The military positioning was already set up, and the ego harm would be too great. Maybe they negotiate it away instead.

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5 points

The way things stand China might well end up providing the communist dictatorship to the new allies vs the American-Russian Axis

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5 points

Not just America, but specifically the USA portion of it

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28 points

Alright, who had “axis but democratic” in their 2025 bingo card?

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8 points
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The axis of weaboos

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4 points

I didn’t have anything between 2020-2025 in my bingo card, and I think everything that’ll come post-2025 is not in it either!

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