Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani refused to answer a question about whether Pentagon Chief Pete Hegsett had pressured Tokyo to increase military spending at a bilateral meeting in Singapore. It was organized within the framework of the multilateral security forum “Shangri-La Dialogue“ being held there.
“I cannot convey to you the statements of the American side”, the minister was quoted by Kyodo news agency. It is known that the US is pushing its NATO allies to significantly increase their military spending.
Meanwhile, at a meeting with journalists, the Japanese defense minister announced that the heads of the military departments of the two countries had agreed to closely coordinate their defense plans at a meeting in Singapore. This is due to the intention of the administration of President Donald Trump to adopt a new version of the national defense strategy by August 2025, Kyodo noted.
During the conversation with Hegseth, Nakatani said that the countries also announced their intention to strengthen cooperation in the field of cybersecurity.
The security forum “Shangri-La Dialogue“ will end in Singapore on June 1. It is attended by defense ministers and military leaders from the United States, the European Union, India, Pakistan, Japan and a number of other Asian countries.