Strengthening Military Cooperation between Japan and the United States in Response to Regional Instability: Historical Background and Contemporary Security Dynamics

This Info Flash examines the historical background to provide a comprehensive analysis of the US-Japan military cooperation. It delves into the current security situation shaping the Asia Pacific region, serving as the driving force behind the ongoing efforts to modernize and enhance military collaboration between the two nations. Despite their complex shared histories, the United States and Japan have significantly bolstered their military cooperation. The primary catalyst behind this strengthening of defence collaboration is the mounting instability within the Asia Pacific region. Japan confronts a multitude of challenges as the increasingly assertive China, which is pursuing a more aggressive regional security policy, and the persistent threat posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear capabilities, including their missile launches targeting Japanese territory. Moreover, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia contributes to the volatility in the region. The resulting instability underscores the paramount importance of the alliance between the U.S. and Japan, emphasizing the need to modernize their forces and project their combined influence. This is crucial for promoting stability and upholding the rule of law in an international system that is growing increasingly turbulent.

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PESCO launches new projects as Denmark joins the effort to improve European military interoperability

At the end of May, the Council of the European Union adopted 11 new projects and welcomed Denmark as a new member state of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) initiative (European Council, 2023). These events are milestones for two reasons; first, these new operations have a focus on interoperability; and second, Denmark’s accession itself, as in the past the country was reluctant to join PESCO and European defence efforts. The 11 new projects focus on a range of military domains. These include training, land, maritime, air systems and cyber. More specifically, the projects concerning land interoperability will primarily focus on unmanned ground systems, communication and infrastructure networks (PESCO, 2023).

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North Korea Strengthens Strategic Alliance with Russia amidst Ukrainian Conflict

On 12 June 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in a message addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, pledged to step up strategic cooperation with the Russian Federation in a joint effort to strengthen the sovereignty of both nations (Ministry of Foreign Affairs [MoFA], 2023). In his message, on the occasion of Russia’s National Day, Kim defended the Kremlin’s decision to invade Ukraine and expressed his unwavering support and solidarity to the people of Russia (MoFA, 2023). In fact, since the start of the war in Ukraine, North Korea has intensified efforts to strengthen ties with the Kremlin and has consistently supported Moscow. Kim also attributed the US help to Ukraine to what he sees as the “hegemonic agenda” of the United States and the West, further aligning North Korea’s and Russia’s views on global power continuity (Reuters, 2023).

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What Benefits and Disadvantages does Sweden and Finland get from NATO?

This Info Flash will first examine the international relations between Sweden, Hungary, and Türkiye, which are tense since Sweden started its accession process to join NATO in the aftermath of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. With this context, the second part of the paper will conduct an analysis of the benefits and disadvantages for Sweden, Finland, and NATO itself in accepting these new member states.

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Nova Kakhovka Dam Collapse: what are the consequences and who is to blame?

On Tuesday morning, a massive dam on the Dnipro River separating the Ukrainian and Russian forces in the south of Ukraine was breached. The dam is part of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant and holds 18 cubic kilometres of water (Faulconbridge, 2023). Thousands of civilians are likely to be affected and people have been evacuated on both sides of the river. Ukrainian officials estimated that over 40,000 people are at risk from flooding.

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