US declines to send delegation to key security forum in Tokyo for first time

For the first time, the United States has declined to send any uniformed military or government representatives to speak at the Pacific Future Forum (PFF), a major international security conference organized by the United Kingdom and held this year in Tokyo Bay. The absence comes at a time when regional allies are seeking to bolster coordination amid mounting geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

The forum aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, features senior defence officials from Japan, the United Kingdom, and other Western nations. Among the scheduled speakers are the defence ministers of both the UK and Japan, along with high-ranking military officials, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Vice Admiral Fred W. Kacher, commander of the US Seventh Fleet, was reportedly among those invited to participate. However, according to individuals familiar with the matter, forum organizers received no response from the US side. The Seventh Fleet did not immediately reply to a request for comment outside regular business hours, and Lord Sedwell, chairman of the Pacific Future Forum, also declined to comment.

The decision not to attend follows a broader pattern of disengagement from international forums. In July, the Pentagon withdrew from the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. At the time, a Department of Defense spokeswoman stated the event “promotes the evil of globalism, disdain for our great country, and hatred for the President of the United States.” Later that month, the Pentagon reportedly issued a memo suspending participation in privately organized conferences. However, the Pacific Future Forum is a government-run event.

Mark Montgomery, a former US rear admiral and participant in a PFF panel, openly criticized Washington’s absence. “I was ashamed that we didn't send anyone,” Montgomery said. His remarks highlight growing concern over the optics of the US retreating from key diplomatic and security dialogues, especially as rivals like China continue to assert themselves in the region.

The Pacific Future Forum, first launched in 2018, is typically held in Europe under the name Atlantic Future Forum. This year, the venue shifted to Japan to coincide with the HMS Prince of Wales’ deployment to the Asia-Pacific, where it has been participating in joint exercises, including operations with Australian forces.

The US decision stands in contrast to its allies’ heightened engagement in the Indo-Pacific and raises questions about Washington’s diplomatic posture at a time of strategic recalibration in the region.

By Vafa Guliyeva