Japan PM Ishiba warns ‘today’s Ukraine could be tomorrow’s East Asia’

“Many fear that today’s Ukraine could be tomorrow’s East Asia. Why did deterrence not work in Ukraine?” Ishiba told parliament.

“Combined with the situation in the Middle East, the international community is becoming increasingly divided and confrontational,” the 67-year-old former defence minister said.

Japan’s relations with China have deteriorated in recent years as Beijing asserts its military presence around disputed territories in the region and Tokyo boosts security ties with the United States and its allies.

Ishiba backs the creation of a regional military alliance along the lines of Nato, saying on Tuesday that the security environment in Asia was “the most severe since the end of World War II”.