
It would be better for Russia to reach an agreement with the West on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, coupled with an assurance of its permanent neutrality and a simultaneous accession by Ukraine to the Association Agreement with the EU and to the Russia-led Customs Union.

Japan’s economic situation is not as dire as some rumors suggest. The country’s growth slowdown is far from terminal—especially if Tokyo implements domestic reforms.

Heightened tensions in the Asia-Pacific, coupled with China’s adjustment of its regional security policy, has meant that the results of the U.S. rebalance to Asia are not as good now as they were two years ago.

Strong Japanese-Russian relations are economically beneficial and a strategic counterbalance against China’s influence. But the Ukraine crisis and Japan’s U.S. loyalties could have damaging effects.

Japan makes judgment about Ukraine in the context of her balancing game among the United States, Russia, and China. However, if Moscow sends troops to Eastern Ukraine, the Japanese political class will unanimously support serious measures to stop Russia.

Obama and Abe need to privately hammer out a coordinated response to a possible skirmish between Japan and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands.

Lieutenant General John E. Wissler, commander of Marine Forces Japan, discussed how the United States is cooperating with its Japanese hosts and others in Asia as part of the rebalancing strategy.

Russia’s economic, political and strategic environment in the West is fast deteriorating. One obvious way to respond to this is to reach out to Asia and the Pacific.

The North Korean nuclear threat is a growing concern in Tokyo and will influence the revision of the U.S.-Japan bilateral defense cooperation guidelines.

In an unprecedented display of proactive foreign policy, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited all ten ASEAN nations during his first year in office and hosted a special ASEAN leadership summit in Tokyo.