SYDNEY – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday during the G7 summit in Canada. This will be their first in-person meeting and will cover key issues including the AUKUS defense pact and trade tariffs.
Speaking from Seattle on Saturday, Albanese said he looks forward to a “constructive engagement” with Trump. He emphasized that the conversation will reflect the importance of the U.S.-Australia alliance and include discussions on regional security and mutual cooperation.
The meeting is expected to touch on Washington’s request for Australia to raise its defense spending from 2% to 3.5% of GDP. Albanese said topics such as tariffs and AUKUS would be front and center during the talks, describing it as “a discussion as two friends should have.”
The Pentagon recently announced it is reviewing the AUKUS nuclear submarine deal with Australia and the UK. In response, Canberra reiterated its commitment to the pact, calling it essential to counter China’s growing military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Australia has pledged A$368 billion over the next 30 years to AUKUS. Albanese said he would build on earlier positive phone conversations with Trump and hoped to strengthen bilateral ties further through direct dialogue.
Meanwhile, Australia welcomed a U.S. warship to Sydney Harbour ahead of the Talisman Sabre war games. The large-scale exercise involves over 30,000 personnel from 19 countries and highlights the depth of military cooperation between the two longtime allies.