The Pentagon Snubbed Our Australian Allies at the Worst Possible Time

And why it’s raising eyebrows from Darwin to D.C.

US Navy ships from the America Strike Group, led by the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), sail in formation with the Royal Australian Navy, Republic of Korea Navy, Royal New Zealand Navy, French Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force as part of Talisman Sabre 25, July 20. Talisman Sabre is the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening relationships and interoperability among key allies and partners, while enhancing our collective capabilities to respond to a wide array of potential security concerns. (US Navy photo illustration by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cole Pursley) Public domain

In an era when China is building artificial islands faster than Starbucks builds coffee shops, the US Department of Defense has decided now is the perfect time to… skip a major defense dialogue with one of its most important Pacific allies.

The Indo-Pacific Deterrence Dialogue, a long-planned, two-day meeting at the Australian National University in Canberra, was supposed to be a high-level huddle on everything from Taiwan contingencies to nuclear scenarios. Instead, it turned into an awkward “where’s Uncle Sam?” moment.

An Empty Seat at the Table

The Sydney Morning Herald broke the story: US officials simply weren’t coming. No generals, no policy wonks, no Pentagon talking heads. The reason, according to insiders, was new guidance from the Office of the Secretary of Defense requiring in-depth vetting of any event involving DoD officials. The official line is that it’s to make sure the Pentagon doesn’t “lend its name and credibility” to anything counter to the administration’s values.

So basically, every conference invite is now being run through a bureaucratic TSA checkpoint that confiscates nuance and delays takeoff.

The decision blindsided Australian hosts, who had spent months preparing the event alongside their American counterparts at the Pacific Forum and the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. While the US Embassy in Canberra insisted the event was “postponed,” no one offered a date, and the Australians, ever the polite hosts, decided to carry on with or without American uniforms in the room.

Rory Medcalf, head of ANU’s National Security College, didn’t mince words. Calling the cancellation “disappointing and counterproductive,” he stressed that these dialogues aren’t just academic exercises; they’re essential for aligning strategy, especially when dealing with issues like extended deterrence and force posture in the Pacific.

Mike Green from the US Studies Centre reminded everyone that the event was funded by Australia. In other words, America didn’t even have to pick up the check.

And yet, they still skipped dinner.

Why This Matters More Than a Missed Meeting