Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that President Trump has approved of the Biden-era Aukus security agreement, which would assist Australia in developing its own fleet of nuclear-powered submarines.
In remarks before the annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations in Washington on Monday, Mr. Rubio said the White House had approved the agreement after a lengthy review that sought to find ways to expand the deal.
“We have a lot of things we’ve worked together on at the direction of the president. Aukus is full-steam ahead,” he said. “I know the Department of War … has conducted a review, which is a review about how we can expand this relationship, about how to build on it so that it can be about many things.”
The Pentagon announced last week that the review that began in July had concluded.
Department of Defense spokesperson Sean Parnell said officials wanted to ensure the agreement was in accordance with Mr. Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Mr. Rubio and Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles were set to meet on Monday for the AUSMIN talks. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong will also participate in the annual discussions aimed at enhancing collaboration between Washington and Canberra.
The meeting comes on the heels of the signing of a critical minerals deal between Mr. Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during an October meeting.
The Aukus agreement, signed in 2021, is split into two pillars of development. The first is focused on assisting Australia in its acquisition of nuclear-powered attack submarines and the rotational basing of U.S. and U.K. submarines in and around Australia.
The second pillar outlines strategic collaboration methods in six technological fields: electronic warfare, hypersonics, artificial intelligence, autonomy, advanced cyber and quantum technologies.
A staunch supporter of AUKUS, Mr. Rubio has been vocal about the agreement. In October, he assured conservative lawmakers that this foreign policy initiative from the Biden era would not only endure but would, in fact, be strengthened after an extensive Pentagon review.
The agreement has enjoyed largely bipartisan support from lawmakers concerned about China’s rising military influence in the South Pacific.
