U.S. President Donald Trump and his new Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi made a joint appearance on an American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier on Tuesday, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening defense ties in response to North Korea and other regional threats.

Trump’s inspection of the USS George Washington at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka followed his first summit talks with Prime Minister Takaichi earlier in the day.

Onboard the ship, Takaichi gave a short speech in which she emphasized that the two allies are facing an “unprecedented severe security environment.”

“Peace cannot be preserved by words alone,” she said. “It can