Shinzo Abe expended much of his political resources on promoting the Indo-Pacific concept. For him, achieving a qualitative shift in the Russia–Japan relations was one his priority objectives. For example, Japan’s western partners were greatly disappointed by the mode of Tokyo’s participation in the attempt to isolate Russia following the Ukrainian crisis, since Tokyo took purely symbolic steps. One would hope that Japan, as one of the principal “facilitators” of the Indo-Pacific concept, will be further interested in preventing this mega project from transforming into an additional source of tension in Russia–Japan relations.

Oleg Paramonov on Shinzo Abe’s Indo-Pacific Doctrine.

A true reform of the UN cannot start in New York; it should start in national capitals of member states. The UN, like any other international organization, is as bad or as good as its members want it to be. Before changing institutions there should be a change in the basic logic of members. Nation states, including the most powerful of them, have to demonstrate determination to move to a new level of governance by relinquishing a part of their national sovereignty.

Historical experience suggests that those not willing to sacrifice a part risk losing the whole. Unfortunately, the UN is not at all immune to the fate of its predecessor.

Andrey Kortunov for Global Times