Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin hosted his British counterpart at the Pentagon on Wednesday as the U.S. and Great Britain work to balance supporting Israel in its war against Hamas and continuing to assist Ukraine as it beats back a Russian invasion.
Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps said the deaths of more than 1,400 people in southern Israel — mostly civilians — at the hands of Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, was not the work of “militants” but simple terrorists who want nothing less than to kill Jews.
“They hate freedom [and] hate everything we stand for,” Mr. Shapps said. “We stand together as nations who are prepared to put our money where our mouth is and send assets to the region.”
The U.S. supports Israel’s “fundamental” right to defend itself after the massacre and mass kidnappings by Hamas, Mr. Austin said.
The Defense Department ordered the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean, where it will join the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford and its own strike group already on station off the coast of Israel.
“Those changes to our force posture send a clear signal to deter hostile actors from trying to shed more blood or to escalate this war,” Mr. Austin said, noting that the U.K. has also ordered a Royal Navy task group to the region to deter outside aggression.
Both defense chiefs said backing Israel’s fight against Hamas won’t cut into the ongoing support for Ukraine.
“The U.K. has been a leader in providing urgently needed security assistance and training to Ukraine’s forces,” Mr. Austin told his British counterpart. “By the end of this year, you will have trained 30,000 Ukrainian recruits since Russia’s disgraceful all-out invasion. Because of your stalwart support, Ukraine’s defenders are better armed, better equipped and better trained.”
Mr. Shapps noted that the U.K. has sent armaments and munitions to Ukraine, including their Storm Shadow cruise missiles which were recently used by Ukraine to attack Russia’s Black Sea Fleet naval headquarters in occupied Sevastopol, Crimea.
“We’ve stood together both now in Israel, but also in Ukraine,” Mr. Shapps said. “We need to be alert to what’s happening with Iran, with China, and with others who don’t believe in a democratic world that we all want to live in.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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