Japan May Join NATO Mission Supporting Ukraine, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani Says

Japan expressed interest in joining the NATO command for its Ukrainian mission based in Germany. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani made the announcement during talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Tokyo on April 8.

Having already provided defense equipment and support to Ukraine, Japan now aims to participate in NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU), which is based at a US facility in Wiesbaden, Germany.

While the details of the mission, including the potential deployment of Japan Self-Defense Force members to Wiesbaden, are still under discussion, any Japanese involvement is not expected to include combat, adhering to Japan's post-World War II tradition of restricting its military role.

Nakatani emphasized Japan’s desire to deepen security cooperation with NATO, stating that participation in the NSATU mission would help Tokyo gain valuable insights from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Both Japan and NATO face many challenges, and our security environment has become increasingly severe,” Nakatani noted.

Earlier in March, it was reported that The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is considering funding energy and infrastructure projects in Ukraine previously overseen by the United States Agency for International Development. JICA’s Ukraine office head Hideki Matsunaga made this statement at the 5th Ukrainian-Japanese Forum, organized by the New Europe Center.

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