The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, rejected calls from the Australian government to end the criminal prosecution of Julian Assange, insisting that the WikiLeaks founder allegedly "risked very serious harm to the national security" of the United States of America (USA), reports Radio Free Europe.
After high-level talks in Brisbane that focused largely on military cooperation, Blinken confirmed the Australian government had repeatedly raised the issue with the US and said he understood the "concerns and views of Australians".
However, he pointedly added that it was "very important that our friends here" in Australia understand US concerns about Assange's "alleged role in one of the largest breaches of classified information in our country's history".
Assange remains in Belmarsh prison in London as he fights US attempts to extradite him to face charges related to the release of hundreds of thousands of leaked documents on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as diplomatic cables.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed that she had raised the case with the US government.
At a joint press conference, Wong said: "We have made clear our position that Mr. Assange's case has dragged on and our desire to see it come to a conclusion."
Key announcements after the meeting on Saturday 29 July were that the US would increase the "pace" of nuclear-powered submarine visits to Australia.
The US has also pledged to help Australia begin domestic missile production within two years.
However, Wong added that there are limits to what can be achieved in government-to-government talks "until Mr Assange's processes are completed".
Blinken, speaking after Wong, told reporters that the US generally does not comment on extradition proceedings.
"I understand and I certainly agree with what Penny said about the fact that this issue has been raised, as it has been in the past, and I understand the sensitivities, I understand the concerns and the views of Australians," he said.
"I think it's very important that our friends understand our concerns about this issue."
Blinken said the US Department of Justice has indicated that Assange is "accused of very serious criminal conduct".
"The actions he allegedly committed risked very serious harm to our national security, to the benefit of our adversaries, and placed designated human sources in grave danger," Blinken said.
"So I'm only saying that because just as we understand the sensitivities here, it's important that our friends understand the sensitivities in the US."
Assange's brother Gabriel Shipton said it was now up to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to "put the views of Australians before the president himself" during his upcoming visit to the US.
Vukilix founder Julian Assange, who is fighting extradition from Britain to the US where he is wanted on criminal charges, filed an appeal with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg in 2022.
US authorities are seeking Assange, 52, on 18 counts, including espionage, in connection with WikiLeaks' release of a large trove of classified US military records and diplomatic cables that Washington has said put American lives at risk.
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