Albanese confirms Trump meeting as Americans take to streets
The prime minister has confirmed he will meet Donald Trump face-to-face as millions of Americans take to the streets to protest against the US president.
Anthony Albanese is preparing for one of the most important diplomatic discussions of his career when he holds talks with Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday, local time.
The prime minister will be trying to negotiate an exemption from controversial US tariffs.
But he faces an uphill battle to cut through with his message as Trump stares down domestic unrest and renewed conflict in the Middle East.
Albanese was unperturbed as he confirmed the much-anticipated meeting to reporters in Seattle on Saturday, local time.
'Obviously, there are issues that the US president is dealing with at the moment, but I expect that we will be able to have a constructive engagement,' he said.
'We'll have a discussion as two friends should.'
Albanese said he would raise tariffs and emphasise the importance of the AUKUS security pact, under which Australia is due to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the US.
Both men have already spoken on three occasions but Tuesday's arrangement is the first time they will meet in person.
Australia is facing 10 per cent tariffs on goods exported to the US and — like all US trading partners except the UK — 50 per cent tariffs on aluminium and steel sent to America.
Supplies of critical minerals and access to the Australian market for US beef could be used as bargaining chips during the talks.
Albanese did not want to make 'grand declarations' prior to the meeting, but he reiterated he would put forward Australia's interests.
'It is also in the interests of the United States for Australia to be treated appropriately,' he said.
Tensions between two countries have ebbed and flowed in recent days after Australia, alongside several other countries, was criticised by the US for sanctioning two Israeli government ministers.
Australia has also pushed back against US calls to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, while Washington has launched a review into the AUKUS agreement to ensure it aligns with Trump's 'America first' agenda.
The prime minister arrived in Seattle after holding bilateral talks in Fiji and was expected to leave for the G7 on Sunday.
He used an event involving US business and technology leaders to sing the praises of 'free and fair trade' ahead of the tariff talks, hailing a $20 billion commitment from Amazon to expand its Australia data centre operations.
Albanese is also expected to hold talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other world leaders during the summit.
He landed in America on the same day a controversial military parade commemorating the US army's 250th birthday took place on the other side of the country, in Washington DC.
The event coincided with Trump's 79th birthday and represents the first such military parade in more than three decades.
Millions of Americans across the nation gathered to protest the US president as part of 'No Kings' rallies held in major cities, while hordes also attended the parade in support of armed forces.
Protest organisers accused Mr Trump of staging a 'made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday' with the military parade, which falls on Flag Day — the date when the US flag was adopted by congress.
Tens of thousands marched to Seattle's towering Space Needle as they chanted, 'no Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA'.
For Stephany Simonelli, who donned a fake crown with a cross and a sash that read 'no kings', it was her first time taking part in a march or rally.
'This just felt absolutely imperative for democracy,' she told AAP.
'I'm really afraid for our country. We, in America, really need to step up and take a stand.'
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ABC News
26 minutes ago
- ABC News
AUKUS faces bigger tests than Trump's 'America first' review, US and UK experts warn
Key defence figures on both sides of the Atlantic warn the risks to AUKUS run deeper than whether a review finds Australia's biggest ever defence deal is "America first" enough for Donald Trump. They've told Four Corners of the damage being done to decades-old alliances by Mr Trump's unpredictability and contempt for the US's allies, the UK's increasing focus on Europe, and concerns neither country has the capability to deliver the submarines on time or on budget. With Australia's allies holding all the cards, and our Indo-Pacific defence strategy at stake, it's possible we could be left billions out of pocket, without submarines, and with one of our oldest alliances in tatters. Even before the US decided to review the deal, a senior member of the country's powerful Armed Services Committee was warning Mr Trump's "idiotic" and "bullying" behaviour towards allies presented risks to the alliance with Australia. The US president has repeatedly said that he regards Canada as the "51st state", while his belittling of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office in February shocked American allies around the world. Mr Trump has also threatened to take back control of the Panama Canal and has not ruled out military force to wrest Greenland from Denmark. The House Armed Services Committee's highest-ranking Democrat, congressman Adam Smith, said Canberra had reason to be concerned about whether "the strong partnership between the US and Australia will remain". "I cannot possibly be critical enough of the way the Trump administration has treated our partners and allies since they were elected … it's really stupid," he said. "Their contempt for allies and partners has the potential, not just to undermine the AUKUS agreement, but to undermine the very national security of the United States of America." Former US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also fears that Mr Trump has undermined America's standing with its allies and partners. "I think this is a great source of alarm," Mr Sullivan, who served in the role under president Joe Biden, told Four Corners. "The direction of travel right now is quite disturbing." Mr Sullivan said he understood why allies such as Australia, may be wondering where they stand with the US president. "I'm not sure that [Mr Trump's] looking for territory Down Under … not to make light of it," Mr Sullivan said. Key voices in the UK, the third alliance partner, are also troubled about the implications for AUKUS. Former Royal Navy admiral Alan West said, "dear old Trump coming in, that has … stood everyone on their heads really". "Things that we absolutely took as a certainty are no longer a certainty," said Lord West, formerly the official who oversaw the Royal Navy's operations. "What he's been saying about Canada [being the 51st state] is outrageous actually. It's like stamping on a fluffy bunny really, isn't it? It's just terrible." Under the AUKUS agreement the US is supposed to transfer at least three nuclear-powered Virginia-class attack submarines to Australia in the 2030s. But it's not building enough Virginia-class submarines for its own fleet, let alone enough to supply Australia. To meet its targets the US would need to build them at a rate of 2.3 a year. It's only making 1.2 a year. Christopher Miller, who served as the acting Defense Secretary in the dying days of the first Trump administration, warns production is "moving too slow". "I think probably most of that's on the United States side, to be perfectly honest with you," Mr Miller said. "The problem is we don't have the workforce, the welders, the skilled machinists that are required." Adam Smith conceded slow production had put pressure on the AUKUS deal. "But I'm hoping that the AUKUS deal will also put pressure the other way. It'll put pressure to solve that problem," Mr Smith said. Earlier this year Australia's Defence minister handed over $800 million to his US counterpart. It's the first of six payments designed to help bolster the struggling American submarine industry. The chief of the Royal Australian Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, told Four Corners Washington was determined to boost production and to fulfil its obligations under the deal. "That is the United States Navy's job to set the conditions to enable that to succeed," Vice Admiral Hammond said. "They're being backed up with strategic investment by the United States and by Australia. So I've got every reason to believe they will succeed." The Trump administration said its review of AUKUS includes ensuring it is "aligned with the president's 'America first' agenda" and that "the defence industrial base is meeting our needs". AUKUS critics, like the former commander of the Royal Australian Navy's submarine squadron, Peter Briggs, warn that Australia could lose everything it has bet on the nuclear subs. "This is a good deal for the Americans," Mr Briggs said. "If they see that the AUKUS program is impacting on their capabilities, they can walk away from it." Under the United States' AUKUS legislation, the president has to certify to Congress that any transfer of Virginia-class submarines to Australia would not degrade America's undersea capabilities. Otherwise, the transfer will not take place. Jake Sullivan is confident that whoever is president when the certification has to take place will honour the deal. "If the US woke up one day and decided it was not going to follow through on AUKUS, could it do that in reality? Yes, of course," Mr Sullivan said. But he said the AUKUS deal ultimately benefits both sides, and added that the US and Australia have long had a relationship of trust and sticking to agreements. The man leading the review, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, has been staunchly opposed to transferring any Virginia-class submarines to Australia while they are needed by the US. Last year, before his elevation to the Pentagon, Mr Colby told the ABC it would weaken American strike power. "It would be crazy for the United States to give away its single most important asset for a conflict with China over Taiwan," he said at the time. That view isn't shared by other Republicans close to Donald Trump. "We're not 'giving them away'. I mean, we are putting them in the hands of our friends in Australia," Republican congressman Rob Wittman told Four Corners. He said having Australia equipped with Virginia-class subs would place an obligation on Canberra to use them to assist the US in the Indo-Pacific. "That's a force multiplier for the United States and our friends in that region of the world." The prospect of "leverage" concerns some, who warn the deal could undermine Australia's sovereignty. Mr Briggs fears it could lock Australia into following the Americans into a confrontation with China over Taiwan. "You are in the punch-up, whether you like it or not," Mr Briggs said. Vice Admiral Hammond said just because Australia would be using US technology didn't mean our sovereignty would be challenged. "I think it just rings a little hollow," he said. "I know that there are critics out there who believe that this technology is so exquisite, it shouldn't be gifted or sold unless there was a guarantee associated with it. That hasn't been part of the program to date." Mr Trump's approach to diplomacy and the US's lagging production are not the only factors threatening to disrupt AUKUS. Under the plan the UK will design a brand-new nuclear-powered submarine called the SSN-AUKUS. Construction is due to begin by the end of this decade in the UK and Australia. But the UK is facing more pressing challenges closer to home. Since the signing of the agreement in 2021, Europe has seen the outbreak of the largest war on the continent since World War II. Senior UK defence experts say that has up-ended the country's defence priorities. Sir Michael Fallon, who served as the UK's defence secretary from 2014 to 2017, is a strong supporter of the AUKUS alliance. "A lot has changed. We've had our own continent invaded by Russia. Something that I don't think every anybody properly predicted," Sir Michael said. "The challenges have grown. The world has got more dangerous." Mr Trump has made it clear that Europe is no longer Washington's first priority, warning this year that the US may not protect NATO members who were not paying enough for their own defence. In response, the UK and other European nations have scrambled to re-prioritise trillions in spending to beef up their armed forces and defences. A review of the UK's defence strategy released this month committed to getting up to 12 SSN-AUKUS attack submarines in the water on schedule. But it has also pointed to a strategic shift caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reinforcing the need for what the review calls a "NATO first" policy. "While Britain, of course, has important relations with Australia, the centre of gravity of the country's security is in Europe," former UK National Security Adviser Peter Ricketts said. "I think the whole context in which the AUKUS deal was struck has changed and has changed Europe. I don't think it's going to go back. I think we are now going to be spending and focusing on our security in Europe for the foreseeable future." The US isn't alone in struggling with submarine production. Former First Sea Lord Alan West said the UK currently does not have the workforce or the specialist skills to deliver the SSN-AUKUS on time. "They're not there yet. We've got to have a really major training program in terms of shipyard ability and also in terms of the nuclear ability," Lord West said. "The trouble is with huge complex programs like building nuclear submarines, you know, it's not like building a shirt for Marks and Spencer. I mean, the length of time is huge." Lord Ricketts said Australia should not expect the SSN-AUKUS to arrive on time or budget. "I think any sensible defence calculation will be that these things will be more expensive and later than is currently expected," he said. "Australia has to expect that the timelines that are now drawn are bound to string out." The final stage of the deal involves Australia starting its own production line of SSN-AUKUS subs. Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead, who heads the Australian agency tasked with overseeing the AUKUS program said the SSN-AUKUS subs are on track. "We're absolutely committed to building our own nuclear-powered submarine and having that delivered in the early 2040s. That is our plan. That is our commitment," Vice Admiral Mead said. "I'm not underestimating the complexity of this. This is the most demanding technological and industrial undertaking that any government in Australia has embarked upon. This will be probably the most complex engineering feat in the world." Watch Four Corners's full investigation, Submerged, tonight from 8:30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview.
Perth Now
37 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Germany urges G7 to show unity in Israel-Iran conflict
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he hopes an upcoming meeting of G7 countries in Canada will show unity and could reach agreement on four key points to help resolve the conflict between Israel and Iran. Speaking as he prepared to fly to Canada for the G7 summit, Merz said the Middle East conflict would be high on the agenda. The four points were: that Iran cannot develop or posses nuclear weapons; that Israel has the right to defend itself against existential threats, which he said Iran's nuclear program represented; thirdly, the conflict should not escalate; and fourth, that scope for diplomacy must be created. "I would like to add that in Germany we are also getting ready in case Iran should target Israeli or Jewish targets in Germany," Merz told reporters, without going into more detail. G7 leaders gather for a summit in the Canadian Rockies starting on Sunday until Tuesday. As summit host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has decided to abandon the annual practice of issuing a joint statement, or communique, at the end of the meeting. Leaders who are not part of the G7 but have been invited to the summit by Carney include the heads of state of India, Australia, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates. Merz said that Israel had requested fire extinguishing material, which Germany would provide. Germany's defence minister, Boris Pistorius, told German state television ARD he had not discussed providing military aid to Israel with his Israeli counterpart, nor had he received any such requests. Nothing was being prepared, he added. Separately, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he had spoken with his Omani counterpart Badr Albusaidi on how Oman's ties could help de-escalate tension in the region between Israel and Iran and Yemen's Houthi rebels. Merz said the G7 would also discuss the war in Ukraine and that more pressure should be put on Russia to bring it to the negotiating table. To that end, European leaders wanted to agree new sanctions on Russia at the end of this month, he said. Merz said economic issues would also be on the agenda at the G7 summit, and said efforts would be directed towards reaching an agreement over tariffs following a decision by US President Donald Trump's administration to impose them on its key trade partners earlier this year. with AP
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
Middle East at war: Celebration, trepidation and anger: Iranians have conflicting emotions over Israeli airstrikes
'I understand them both and at different times my own feelings are closer to one of these groups and then the other,' Behnaz said. Given government repression, it can be difficult to gauge public sentiment in Iran. Polling is limited, many Iranians are unwilling to speak to foreign journalists, and those who do may hold views that aren't representative of the wider population. And if Israel widens its attacks beyond military and nuclear program targets – a possibility, given Defence Minister Israel Katz's warning on Saturday that if Iran continued to fire missiles, 'Tehran will burn' – those views could change. Loading The Iranian government, meanwhile, is trying to control public reactions. The Ministry of Communications said on Friday it would temporarily limit internet access, and Iranians said they were struggling to connect using the virtual private networks that allow them to circumvent government censorship of foreign websites and applications. Some Iranians rallied to protest against Israel and express support for the government. They held up pictures of generals and scientists who had been killed. Participants in a pro-government demonstration on Saturday in Tehran told a state television journalist that they wanted the harshest response possible against Israel. 'We won't relent until the complete destruction of Israel,' said a woman in a black-and-white checked scarf that indicates support for Iran's security forces. 'It's not a question of revenge. Israel must be wiped off the page of time forever.' Iranians in a protest march on Saturday against the Israeli attacks. Credit: Getty Images A man surrounded by his wife and daughters said they had come to the rally to show 'Israel that my family, all my compatriots and I stand behind our armed forces, and whatever step they take, we will support with our lives and property'. On the surface, several Iranians said that life in Tehran and other cities had carried on as usual during what was a holiday weekend for the nation's majority Shiite Muslims. People went to coffee shops with friends or did their shopping. Those who didn't have the day off went to work. But behind the veneer of normality lay stress and worry – particularly among those old enough to remember Iran's protracted war with Iraq in the 1980s when cities were targeted with airstrikes. Nima, who was a child during the Iran-Iraq War in a city that was heavily bombed, heard the sounds of missiles and air defence systems in Tehran for three or four hours overnight on Saturday. 'Tonight in Tehran, it's scarier,' he said, adding that he could hear loud booms and what appeared to be a succession of missiles fired from Iranian territory. Some said the news appeared more frightening to those outside the country; Iranians, they said, had been through far worse. Seventy-eight people were killed and more than 320 wounded in the initial Israeli attacks, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations said on Friday. It was unclear how many were civilians. Parnia Abbasi, a young female poet, and Mehdi Pouladvand, a competitive equestrian, had been killed with their families, Iranian media reported. Fire and smoke rise into the sky after an Israeli attack on the Shahran oil depot in Tehran. Credit: Getty Images But many expressed satisfaction, particularly at the deaths of top officials in the Revolutionary Guard, which plays a major role in domestic repression. One of the men killed, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, headed the Revolutionary Guard's aerospace force, which shot down a Ukraine International Airlines flight in 2020, killing all 176 people on board. Mehrdad, a 36-year-old man in the southern city of Bandar Abbas, said he had not been this happy in 10 years. 'We have no fear,' Mehrdad said. 'We know that even if there's a war that involves the [Iranian] people, it's still better than the situation we are in with this government.' Some used the celebration of Eid al-Ghadir on Saturday to express their glee. Iranians mark the day by buying sweets and gifts for family and friends. Elham, a 37-year-old woman in the western city of Hamedan, said she saw more Iranians happy and celebrating than during past holidays, and suspected they were using it as cover to celebrate Israel's attacks. Loading Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attempted to capitalise on that spirit. On Friday, he urged Iranians to 'stand up and let your voices be heard.' 'Israel's fight is not with you,' he said. 'Our fight is with our common enemy: The murderous regime that both oppresses you and impoverishes you.' The Washington Post The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day's most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
