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* Soeren Kern: Russia Gives NATO New Lease on Life
* Lawrence A. Franklin: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Protected the Indo-Pacific Region for the Free World


** Russia Gives NATO New Lease on Life ([link removed])
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by Soeren Kern • July 14, 2022 at 5:00 am
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s://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18713/russia-nato#print
* The alliance's new Strategic Concept, adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid on June 28-30, focuses on addressing the return of great-power politics, specifically strategic competition with revisionist powers such as Russia and China.
* The Strategic Concept affirms collective territorial defense as NATO's fundamental mission, and effective deterrence as its main objective.
* "The Russian Federation is the most significant and direct threat to Allies' security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area.... Its coercive military posture, rhetoric and proven willingness to use force to pursue its political goals undermine the rules-based international order.... In light of its hostile policies and actions, we cannot consider the Russian Federation to be our partner." — NATO 2022 Strategic Concept.
* The 2022 Concept also assesses, for the first time, the "challenges" — France and Germany objected to describing China as a "threat" because it was seen as harmful to European economic interests — posed by Communist Party of China.
* Finally, the 2022 Concept commits NATO member states to honor previous pledges on defense spending, but there is no enforcement mechanism.
* "The February invasion led to promises for even more spending, but many countries remain disappointments. Last month Germany approved a special €100 billion fund to rearm but still won't commit to meeting the spending pledge every year. Italy said in March it will hit 2% by 2028, and Belgium managed to be even more hapless with a vow to reach the goal by 2035. Will Mr. Biden do anything to push these laggards in Madrid?" — Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal, June 26, 2022.
* "If NATO fails to translate words into action now, it could be fatal for the Alliance." — Ed Arnold, Royal United Services Institute, July 1, 2022.

NATO's new Strategic Concept, adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid on June 28-30 (pictured), focuses on addressing the return of great-power politics, specifically strategic competition with revisionist powers such as Russia and China. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), responding to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, has announced the biggest overhaul of European defense since the end of the Cold War. By pledging more money, more troops and more unity to deter Russia, NATO leaders have reaffirmed NATO as the cornerstone of transatlantic defense.

The alliance's new Strategic Concept, adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid on June 28-30, focuses on addressing the return of great-power politics, specifically strategic competition with revisionist powers such as Russia and China.

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** Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Protected the Indo-Pacific Region for the Free World ([link removed])
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by Lawrence A. Franklin • July 14, 2022 at 4:00 am
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* Perhaps Abe's most enduring contribution to the Japanese people was successfully to lead them into accepting a greater responsibility for the defense of the Free World.
* Abe's calm demeanor, diplomatic comportment and clarity of thought on strategic security issues helped enable the rapid evolution of the "QUAD" alliance (US, Japan, Australia and India) into a formidable xxxxxx against Chinese Communist expansionism in the Indo-Pacific.
* Abe's most significant contribution to strengthening security in the Indo-Pacific Region may yet materialize: to amend Japan's post World War II Constitution to allow Tokyo more aggressively to project military power in the South and East China Seas. Such as addition would be a great boost to Free Asia's hope to keep the Indo-Pacific secure and free. It is to be hoped that all countries in the region will follow in Abe's extraordinary footsteps.

Perhaps Shinzo Abe's most enduring contribution to the Japanese people was successfully to lead them into accepting a greater responsibility for the defense of the Free World. (Photo by Michel Euler/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Shinzo Abe, the most influential Japanese leader since World II, ushered in accomplishments that were transformative both in Japan's role as a democratic power in the Indo-Pacific Region and as a dynamic player in international affairs. His aggressive initiatives on defense issues significantly strengthened the US-Japanese Alliance, just as China's expansionist aspirations in the South and East China Seas were peaking; he continued to push for an increase in Japan's defense budget right up to his assassination.

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