Ever since the inclusion of Italy, NATO has had a more complicated relationship with maritime geography than its name implies. Now, with challenges to the international order appearing across multiple flanks, the alliance is trying to figure out how to further its mission in the Indo-Pacific.
In recent years, like-minded European and East Asian nations have increasingly worked to deepen their defense ties. This is perhaps most evident in the rapidly evolving relationship between Japan and NATO, which has captured headlines on both sides of the Pacific in recent months. This enhanced cooperation is widely welcomed in Washington and European capitals but is meeting a more mixed response in the rest of the Indo-Pacific. It is also, unsurprisingly, provoking strong negative reactions from Beijing, Pyongyang, and Moscow.