Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met today with his UK counterpart, Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, on the margins of the AUKUS Defense Ministers Meeting in London. The discussion included the situation in Middle East, support to Ukraine, and continued defense cooperation.
The two leaders reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to continue supporting Ukraine's efforts to defend itself against Russian aggression and reiterated the importance of stopping the escalation of violence in the Middle East. Secretary Austin reiterated his thanks for continued defense cooperation with the UK on a wide range of operational and capability development efforts.
Both leaders look forward to continued coordination and cooperation between our two militaries.