Secretary of Defense Spokesperson Cmdr. Sarah Higgins provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met with his counterpart from the United Kingdom, State Secretary for Defense Michael Fallon today on the margins of the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, Belgium. Secretary Mattis noted his intent to keep the special relationship between the U.S. and the UK uniquely close by actively tending to it and showing it remains a cornerstone of U.S. security and defense policy.
He also thanked Secretary Fallon for his country’s sustained leadership in NATO, acknowledged the UK’s increased defense spending, and discussed opportunities to adapt the Alliance in response to increased threats. The two leaders pledged to continue their dialogue on shared security interests and the U.S.-UK bilateral defense agenda.