AUKUS pact: US says 'door's very much open' for New Zealand

The US has given a clear indication that there is room for New Zealand and other countries to become involved in the AUKUS trilateral defense partnership. The security pact currently involves Australia, the UK and the US.

“The door’s very much open for New Zealand and other partners to engage as they see appropriate going forward,” Blinken told a news conference in Wellington.

“We’ve long worked together on the most important national security issues. And so as we further develop AUKUS, as…