Downing Street has responded to reports that the US is reviewing the Aukus defence pact with the UK and Australia, stating that it is “understandable” for America to assess the project.
The review has sparked concerns that a future Donald Trump administration could withdraw from the agreement if it is deemed not to align with an “America first” agenda.
Elbridge Colby, a US defence department official who has expressed scepticism about the Aukus pact, is leading the review.
A UK Government spokesperson has downplayed the possibility of the US pulling out of the deal, emphasising Aukus as “one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades”.
They added: “It is understandable that a new administration would want to review its approach to such a major partnership, just as the UK did last year.
“The UK will continue to work closely with the US and Australia at all levels to maximise the benefits and opportunities which Aukus presents for our three nations.”
Announced in 2021, Aukus involves the three nations building a new generation of nuclear-powered attack submarines and cooperating in other areas of advanced defence technology.
The deal will also see Australia buy three Virginia-class submarines from the US ahead of the new vessels being built.
That provision has led some in Washington, including Mr Colby, to question the deal on the grounds that the US may need those submarines if it finds itself in a war with China over Taiwan.
But last month, the new US ambassador to London used his first major speech in the job to back Aukus.
Warren Stephens told an audience in Parliament, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, that the US was “proud to stand alongside Britain and Australia, two of our closest allies, as we deepen our collaboration to respond to a changing world”.
Australia’s defence minister also dismissed concerns on Thursday that the deal could be in jeopardy.
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles told Sky News Australia that he had known about the review of the deal “for some time,” saying that it was a “very natural step for the incoming administration to take.”
He noted that the UK’s government also reviewed the deal, the centrepiece of a three-way alliance known as AUKUS after it was elected, and that his own government had looked at it as part of its own review of Australia’s entire defence posture.
“I think an incoming government having a look at this is something that they have a perfect right to do and we welcome it and we’ll work with it,” he said.
In January, Australia made the first of six $500 million payments to the U.S. under the AUKUS deal, meant to bolster American submarine manufacturing.
Marles met with U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of a defence conference in Singapore less than two weeks ago, and told reporters afterward that he had come away with “a sense of confidence about the way in which AUKUS is proceeding.”
“AUKUS is on track and we are meeting all the timelines that are associated with it,” he said. “We are very optimistic.”
Hegseth’s address to the defence forum made multiple mentions of cooperation with Australia but no reference to AUKUS, however, though he did later mention the deal when he was taking questions.
Hegseth did urge allies in the Indo-Pacific to increase their defence spending, and underscored the need for a “strong, resolute and capable network of allies and partners” as the U.S. seeks to counter China.
Additional reporting by PA/AP.
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