Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Sasha Baker returned from travel today after meetings at U.S. Embassy London and co-chairing the 3rd Strategic Policy Dialogue (SPD) on Feb. 23 with her UK counterpart, Director General Security Policy Paul Wyatt.
Ms. Baker participated in meetings with U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Matthew Palmer and U.S. Embassy Country Team members to discuss interagency collaboration and work that continues to reaffirm U.S. and UK enduring shared strategic interests.
During the SPD, Mr. Wyatt and Ms. Baker developed policy guidance for their militaries ahead of the Strategic Effects and Force Alignment Board, which is scheduled for later this year.
The leaders discussed a wide range of defense and security issues and focused on aligning U.S.-UK geographic and thematic priorities in the Euro-Atlantic, Indo-Pacific, and Middle East regions, while also synchronizing on global counterterrorism topics.
Ms. Baker highlighted the importance of maintaining integrated deterrence while addressing challenges posed by strategic competitors. Throughout the dialogue, participants discussed the necessity for comprehensive, whole-of-government approaches towards managing current and future global challenges.
Two years from Russia's brutal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Wyatt and Ms. Baker stressed the imperative of working closely with global allies and partners, including NATO and European Union members, to maintain robust support for Ukraine.
Ms. Baker praised the UK's steadfast leadership on a range of recent security efforts, to include deterring Russian aggression, ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, and preserving the rules-based international order. The dialogue reaffirmed the close and durable U.S.-U.K. partnership and commitment to peace, security, and prosperity.
