Alarm as Donald Trump 'throws a grenade' at crucial defence deal with UK
The future of the crucial AUKUS deal - which sees the UK work with the US and Australia on nuclear submarines - has been thrown into doubt by the White House
Donald Trump has sparked fears he could pull out of a crucial defence deal with the UK and Australia.
The unpredictable US President is understood to have ordered a review into an agreement to build a new generation of nuclear-powered attack submarines. It will be headed by defence official Elbridge Colby, who has previously described himself as "sceptical" of the AUKUS partnership.
The trio of nations reached the agreement in 2021, saying they would work together on advanced defence technology.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds branded it a "first class" partnership. He told a press gallery lunch in Westminster: "The US is reviewing a lot of its international relationships, whether those are with multilateral bodies or agreements like that.
"AUKUS is, on both the defence and industrial level, a genuinely first class agreement of how we treat each other's suppliers and the supply chain, and what outcome we're seeking to do and the level of collaboration.
"So I would have a lot of confidence in anyone looking at the various bits of that agreement and saying that it is an incredibly strong and important agreement for the future.
"So US colleagues want to look at it? Okay, that's their right to do so.
"I think it is an incredibly compelling and strong agreement. When they look at it, I'm pretty certain they'll be in agreement."
A No10 spokesman played down the likelihood of US withdrawal, branding AUKUS "one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades". He added: "It is understandable that a new administration would want to review its approach to such a major partnership, just as the UK did last year.
"The UK will continue to work closely with the US and Australia at all levels to maximise the benefits and opportunities which AUKUS presents for our three nations."
The Liberal Democrats said the US' decision to launch a review had "thrown another grenade into our security partnership" and urged the PM to "develop contingency plans".
Helen Maguire, the party's defence spokeswoman, said: "Even in the face of an imperial Putin and the rising threat posed by China, this White House simply can't be relied upon to support our collective defence. Our national security demands that we ramp up talks with our Commonwealth friends and work to plug the gap that the US is threatening to leave in European and global security."
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