- Trump's cannibalisation of the summit also meant that there were no specific points devoted to reaffirming the importance of enhancing NATO’s ties with its Indo-Pacific partners: Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. - The decision of Australian PM Anthony Albanese, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba to skip the NATO gathering in The Hague—leaving New Ze...

- Three out of the four IP4 partners (South Korea, Japan, Australia) declined the invitation to attend on short notice. - Efforts to move the IP4 partnership from dialogue to action in operational, defence industrial, technology cooperation, and maritime security risks faltering, thereby weakening its intended deterrence, particularly to prevent a ‘Taiwan contingency’. - President Lee's absence due to u...

- The forthcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit in the Netherlands is a timely opportunity for South Korea to reassert its commitment to the rules-based order as a key US ally while simultaneously furthering its economic and security interests. - Through this investment and through the support of companies such as US tech giant OpenAI, Lee intends to transform South Korea into one of the to...

-  The IP4 invitation is not simply a reflection of shared values—it is a strategic experiment in institutional adaptation, signaling the Alliance’s willingness to rethink its identity and role in response to evolving threats and complex geopolitical dynamics.-  The invitation to the 2025 Summit is therefore less an indication of full-spectrum ideological alignment and more an expression of converging a...