Elbridge Colby Quoted in Japan Times

Elbridge Colby, who helped write the Pentagon’s 2018 National Defense Strategy as deputy assistant defense secretary for strategy and force development, said the German move would also heap external pressure on Japan to spend more.

“I do think this really increases the degree to which Japan is singled out among important U.S. allies on defense spending,” Colby said. “Germany was a hold out and Japan could point to them. Now Japan is really alone — look at Germany, Australia, the U.K., France, Poland, South Korea. They all send much more. And Japan is very vocal that it feels threatened. Japan’s laggard defense spending can’t go on.”

Japan Times