Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defence | Official website
On May 13, 2024, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and his Canadian counterpart, Minister of National Defence Bill Blair, convened for a bilateral meeting at the Pentagon. The leaders engaged in discussions on various issues including cooperation through NATO to counter Russian aggression against Ukraine, their shared commitment to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) modernization, Canada's Defence Policy Update, defense spending, Haiti's security situation, Middle East security, and the importance of maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The two officials reiterated their steadfast support for Ukraine and pledged to continue providing assistance to bolster Ukraine's security and sovereignty over the long term. They also underscored the significance of both nations' investment in modern, ready, and capable forces as well as steps to advance NORAD modernization. Close coordination on a range of other bilateral and global issues was also discussed.
In addition to these topics, they emphasized the ongoing commitment of both the United States and Canada to work collaboratively towards improving security in Haiti with regional and international partners.
