Analysis: Jakub Graca; graphic design: Natalia Matiaszczyk; collected data: Interns
The most frequent foreign destinations for U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who has held office almost since the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency, have been Europe and the Far East. In Europe, Austin’s visits were primarily related to regular meetings (some of which were held remotely) of the U.S.-coordinated defense contact group for Ukraine, known as the Ramstein Group. In the Far East, his first trip as defense secretary took place in March 2021, and his thirteenth visit to the Indo-Pacific region occurred in December 2024.
Of particular note is Austin’s extensive activity in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region. As part of efforts to counter the PRC in the area, Washington is focusing on several key initiatives: cooperation within the Quad format with India, Japan, and Australia; the AUKUS partnership with Australia and the UK; bilateral relations with South Korea and the Philippines; and the JAROKUS format with Japan and South Korea. Relations with select countries in Oceania and ASEAN are also becoming increasingly significant. Austin’s travel itinerary reflects U.S. priorities: in addition to visits to countries like Australia, India, Japan, and South Korea, the defense secretary has made four visits to the Philippines alone since taking office. He is also the first U.S. defense secretary to visit Papua New Guinea.
In 2023 alone, Austin visited the Middle East twice. He had been to the region only once since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023, traveling to Israel, Bahrain, and Qatar. Unofficial reports indicate that another visit to Israel was scheduled for September 2024 but was canceled. Austin’s trips to the Middle East, along with intensive phone contacts with regional leaders and visits to Washington by some of them, underscore the U.S. commitment to Israel’s defense. This commitment is reflected in the provision of weapons and military equipment to the Israeli military, as well as adjustments in the deployment of U.S. forces in the region
A noteworthy aspect of Austin’s 2023 travels was his trip to Africa, where he visited Djibouti, Kenya, and Angola. In Djibouti, he met with the president of Somalia. Djibouti is particularly significant as it hosts both the only permanent U.S. military base on the African continent (Camp Lemonnier) and the first Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLAN) naval base established in Africa. Nairobi and Luanda, on the other hand, are key U.S. partners in Africa. During Austin’s visit to Nairobi, a bilateral security cooperation agreement was signed, and Kenya assumed the chairmanship of the international stabilization mission in Haiti in late 2023. The Kenyan president also visited Washington in May 2024. The relationship with Angola was further solidified through President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Luanda.
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