Upon arriving in Fiji on June 13, 2025, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese underscored the significance of the AUKUS agreement for global peace and security.

Albanese expressed strong confidence that the AUKUS pact benefits not only Australia but also the US and UK, especially in the context of rising global tensions.

His remarks come in light of the Pentagon's announcement of a review regarding the AUKUS agreement and its alignment with the US 'America First' strategy.

Concerns have emerged that the US may reconsider its commitment to the AUKUS pact, which could have significant implications for Western Australia, where submarine construction is set to take place.

The AUKUS deal involves Australia constructing five SSN-AUKUS submarines and acquiring three to five Virginia Class nuclear-powered submarines from the US.

In a related discussion, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that Australia should increase its defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, well above the planned 2.3% by 2033.

Peter Cock, chief of the WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasized the economic advantages of AUKUS for Western Australia and called for proactive engagement with the US during the review.

Opposition leader Sussan Ley urged Albanese to actively engage with the US to protect the AUKUS agreement, voicing concerns about the Pentagon's review.

Ley noted that the US review is a standard procedure for new administrations, akin to Australia's recent Defence Strategic Review.

Amid growing public concern and limited parliamentary scrutiny of the agreement, a group of ten crossbench MPs has called for a Parliamentary inquiry into AUKUS.