Key Points
- US President Donald Trump made a major concession to Australia on defence spending.
- There had been pressure from his administration on Anthony Albanese to increase spending.
- Albanese's meeting with Trump was considered by many observers to be a success.
While Donald Trump’s dressing down of Kevin Rudd has sucked oxygen from the prime minister’s White House trip, another response from the US president would have had Anthony Albanese breathing a sigh of relief.
After an apparent dream run for the prime minister inside the West Wing, Trump delivered hearty support for the AUKUS deal and handed out a healthy dose of platitudes about the strength of the friendship.
Trump also revealed he’s quite relaxed about Australia’s defence spending.
His administration had been turning the screws on the Australian government and many others around the world over military investment.
In June, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for Australia to boost defence spending while on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles.
A read-out issued by the Pentagon said: "Secretary Hegseth conveyed that Australia should increase its defense spending to 3.5 per cent of its GDP as soon as possible."
On Tuesday, during Trump's 35-minute press call in the Cabinet Room, alongside Albanese, he was asked by SBS World News to clarify whether he was satisfied with Australia’s defence spending or wanted to see it increase.
"I’d always like more," Trump responded.
"But they have to do what they have to do, you can only do so much."
He went on to praise Australia’s investment in the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine program.
"I think they've been great. They're building magnificent holding pads for the submarines. It's going to be expensive too."
"You wouldn't believe the level of complexity right? And how expensive it is.
"They're building tremendous docking because they have a lot of ships and a lot of things happening. And I think their military has been very strong, very, very strong."
For some time, senior members of the federal government, including the prime minister, have been keen to point out Australia would spend the necessary amount rather than being held to an arbitrary figure.
However, this compromise has unfolded behind closed doors.
It appears Albanese held his ground and now has the president's endorsement.
All taking place with Hegseth a few seats away.
