Albo locks in face to face with Trump at summit talks – as he prepares to deliver President a defiant message

By MAX ALDRED FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 23:52 BST, 14 June 2025 | Updated: 00:12 BST, 15 June 2025

Anthony Albanese has locked in his first face to face meeting with Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada as he prepares to stare down the US President on Australia’s defence spending. 

The prime minister on Sunday confirmed a meeting had been set for Tuesday local time when the leaders head to Kananaskis, Alberta and plans to stand his ground against US demands for Australia to increase our defence budget. 

He also plans to raise the impact of Trump’s trade tariffs on the Australian and US economies and push for an exemption, as well as the precarious future of the AUKUS nuclear submarines agreement, which is currently under review by the US government. 

‘Obviously, there are issues that the US president is dealing with at the moment,’ Mr Albanese told media in Seattle on Saturday local time.

‘But I expect that we will be able to have a constructive engagement as well.

‘I look forward to building on the very constructive phone conversations that we’ve had on the three occasions that we’ve had the opportunity to talk.’

Both men have already spoken on three occasions but Tuesday’s arrangement is the first time they will meet in person.

 

Albanese said his focus would be both to reason with Trump over his imposition of tariffs on Australia and the world, and to shore up the case for the AUKUS pact, which the Pentagon announced last week would be subject to a 30-day review to ensure it meets Trump’s “America First” agenda.

Under AUKUS, Australia will build an attack submarine class known as the SSN-AUKUS, due to come into service in the early 2040s. But to fill a gap in the fleet before then, the US has committed to selling up to five Virginia-class submarines to Australia from 2032.

It also involves the development of joint advanced military capabilities to promote security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Coupled with a demand from Washington that Australia lift its defence spending to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product “as soon as possible”, the review was regarded as a leverage exercise by the Americans to compel Australia to dramatically boost its defence budget.

Asked what his message to Trump would be, Albanese said his government had not only increased defence spending by $57 billion over the next decade, but was providing the US with billions in in-kind support with “a range of benefits”.

He listed these as Australia’s $800 million contribution to enhance the production of submarines in the US, and the provision of more than 100 personnel, who will learn how to maintain the vessels at a base in Hawaii.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will talk with Donald Trump on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit in Canada

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Albo locks in face to face with Trump at summit talks – as he prepares to deliver President a defiant message

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