Pentagon Press Secretary Alyssa Farah provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper met U.K. Secretary of State for Defense Ben Wallace today at the Pentagon to reaffirm the strategic defense relationship between our two nations.
The leaders discussed mutual security concerns, including Russia, China, and the security situation in the Middle East, Africa, and Afghanistan.
They also addressed a broad range of defense issues, including the transatlantic relationship, and the United States’ and United Kingdom’s parallel nuclear defense capability modernization programs. They agreed to work together to further reduce the presence of high-risk vendors in telecom infrastructure.
Secretary Esper expressed appreciation for the United Kingdom’s leadership role in several areas, including at NATO, and for its ongoing contributions to international missions, in particular the International Maritime Security Construct.