Remarks by United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth indicate that, while the Pentagon may be withdrawing support for European allies, it remains firmly committed to those in the Indo-Pacific, including Australia.
Speaking at a press conference in Manila on March 28, he promised that the Trump administration would “truly prioritise and shift to this region of the world in a way that is unprecedented.
“Today, it’s the Philippines. Tomorrow, it’s Japan. It will be Australia and South Korea and other nations in this part of the world,” he said.
During meetings with Philippines President Bongbong Marcos and Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Hegseth said they had “agreed on the next steps to reestablish—and that’s key, reestablish—deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region.”…