NATO’s outreach to the Indo-Pacific risks losing momentum, analysts say, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade and defense demands — as well as his weekend decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites — create a rift with the alliance’s partners in the region.
Three leaders of NATO’s so-called Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) partner countries, including Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, have decided to skip a key summit that formally kicked off Tuesday. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier bailed on the event, leaving New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as the sole regional leader attending the gathering.
Senior officials will fill in for the absent leaders, with Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya replacing Ishiba.
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