UK, Australia to recommit to defence pact at meeting in London
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The UK and Australia plan to underscore their resolve to maintain a defence pact with the US at a meeting on Dec 16.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – The UK and Australia plan to underscore their resolve to maintain a defence pact with the US at a meeting on Dec 16, amid concern about US President-elect Donald Trump’s commitment to the agreement.
Mr David Lammy, the British foreign secretary, and Mr John Healey, the British defence secretary, will host their Australian counterparts in London for the annual meeting, known as Aukmin.
While it was planned long before November’s US election, both countries intend to emphasise their “steadfast commitment” to Aukus – named after Australia, the UK and US.
Under the Aukus deal signed in 2021
The deal is “one of the most strategically important collaborations for decades,” the UK government said on Dec 15 in a news release.
Uncertainty about Trump’s approach to Aukus is based largely on his vows to cut government spending, as well as concerns that he may seek to alter terms negotiated by the current president, Mr Joe Biden.
Still, Trump’s hawkish approach to China may push him to want to focus more on the pact, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.
In June, former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, who signed the deal with Mr Biden and former British prime minister Boris Johnson, said Trump had expressed a positive opinion towards the Aukus pact during a visit to the US in May.
The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
The UK and Australia will also use the summit to unveil new security initiatives – including deploying a branch of the Royal Navy, the UK Carrier Strike Group, to Australia in 2025 and extending Australian training of Ukrainian armed forces.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be in Norway on Dec 16 to announce plans for a green energy deal with the country before attending a defence summit in Estonia. BLOOMBERG
