Latest news with #USDepartmentofDefence
Sky News AU
19 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
'Australia is surprisingly defenceless': Former foreign minister Alexander Downer urges government to boost essential military spending to avoid 'free riding' America
Former foreign minister Alexander Downer fears Australia's lack of defence spending could give the impression the country is "free riding" America like "Europeans have been doing for a long time". The claims come after the United States called on Australia to boost its military budget to 3.5 per cent of GDP 'as soon as possible', but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese refused to succumb to the pressure. In a US Department of Defence readout released on Sunday, the figure requested of Australia was revealed, with the key focus areas being advancing defence industrial base cooperation, creating supply chain resilience and accelerating US force posture initiatives in Australia. The US has been telling allies around the world, in Europe and across the Indo-Pacific, to increase defence spending instead of relying on the American military. On Wednesday evening, Mr Downer appeared on Sky News to discuss the latest debate on defence spending and labelled Australia a "surprisingly defenceless" country. "At the moment, Australia is surprisingly defenceless as we divert more and more of our defence budget into our ambition, apparently, to build submarines in Adelaide," he told Sky News host Chris Kenny. "And so that money is being increasingly diverted into that task and away from essential military equipment we need to defend Australia and possibly quite soon." Mr Downer also drew lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war and suggested Australia should not find itself in a position where the country is dependent on America for its military resources during times of conflict. "Europe, if you like, is at war, and they are totally dependent on the Americans," he said. "So on the one hand, they criticise the Americans and don't like President Trump, but on the other hand, they're dependent on them." Mr Downer urged Australia to make a "serious contribution" to defence and the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific region to avoid dependency on America when it comes to global threats. "That means investing substantially in things like missile defence, submarines of course, drones, other forms of new technology, as well as traditional technology," he added. However, Sky News Sunday Agenda revealed Mr Albanese would not bend to the US request and stood by Labor's existing policy of increasing defence funding to 2.33 per cent of GDP by 2033. 'What we'll do is we'll determine our defence policy, and we've invested just across the forwards, an additional $10 billion in defence,' Mr Albanese said on Sunday. 'What we'll do is continue to do is continue to provide for investing in our capability but also investing in our relationships in the region.' Mr Albanese's highly-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump appears likely to occur at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada from June 15 to 17, 2025.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Australia and US in tug of war on defence spending as Hegseth calls on Marles to boost funding to 3.5 per cent of GDP
The United States has called on Australia to boost its military budget to 3.5 per cent of GDP 'as soon as possible', but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to change his policy position. Defence Minister Richard Marles met with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on the sidelines of the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore last week to discuss the key priorities of the US-Australia alliance. In a US Department of Defence readout released on Sunday, the figure requested of Australia was revealed, with the key focus areas being advancing defence industrial base cooperation, creating supply chain resilience and accelerating US force posture initiatives in Australia. 'The Secretary looks forward to continuing to work with Deputy Prime Minister Marles to maintain peace through strength in the Indo-Pacific,' the statement read. The US has been telling allies around the world, in Europe and across the Indo-Pacific, to increase defence spending instead of relying on the American military. In his address at the summit, Hegseth echoed the Trump administration's motto of maintaining 'peace through strength' and stressed the importance of restoring the 'warrior ethos'. "There's no reason to sugar coat it. The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent," Hegseth said, in some of his strongest comments on the Communist nation since he took office in January. In his address at the Shangri La Dialogue, Mr Marles said the assurance from the US that it saw the Indo-Pacific as a strategic priority was 'deeply welcome'. 'But we cannot leave it to the United States alone,' he said. 'Other countries must contribute to this balance as well, and Australia is investing in a generational transformation of the ADF to ensure we are not only in a position to deter for projection against us, but also to contribute to an effective regional balance.' However, Sky News Sunday Agenda reported Mr Albanese would not bend to US pressure and stand by Labor's existing policy of increasing defence funding to 2.33 per cent of GDP by 2033. 'What we'll do is we'll determine our defence policy, and we've invested just across the forwards, an additional $10 billion in defence,' Mr Albanese said on Sunday. 'What we'll do is continue to do is continue to provide for investing in our capability but also investing in our relationships in the region.' Mr Albanese's highly-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump appears likely to occur at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis from June 15 to 17, 2025. Before Mr Marles' meeting with Mr Hegseth, the Prime Minister lashed out at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) after it published a report criticising the government's funding trajectory. 'Seriously, they need to, I think, have a look at themselves as well and the way that they conduct themselves in debates,' Mr Albanese told ABC Radio. 'We've had a Defence Strategic Review. We've got considerable additional investment going into defence - $10 billion." ASPI Executive Director Justin Bassi defended the report, saying the government was failing to meet the urgency of the global threat landscape. 'ASPI was set up to deliver the hard truths to the government of the day,' Mr Bassi told Sky News. 'Unfortunately the world has these threats that do impact Australia and to counter these threats we need to, unfortunately, spend more money in the area." Mr Marles revealed the US Secretary of Defence had already nudged Australia to increase defence spending, but stopped short at disclosing by how much. 'On Friday, in our bilateral meeting, Secretary Hegseth did raise the question of increased defence expenditure on the Australian side,' Mr Marles said on Sunday. 'Of course, we have already engaged in the last couple of years in the single biggest peace time increase in defence expenditure in Australia's history. So we are beginning this journey.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's critics and supporters unite against Qatar plane deal
In his eagerness to accept a plane from Qatar, Donald Trump has achieved a remarkable feat, uniting many partisans across America's bitter political divide. The problem for the White House is that unity is happening in opposition to it. Predictably, Trump's opponents in the Democratic Party slammed the president after he indicated he would accept a luxury jet from the Qatari royal family. More noteworthy – and potentially more troubling for the president – is that some of his strongest supporters also have serious reservations about the deal, even as it's not yet finalised. Maga influencers have described the move as a "bribe", grift, or an example of the high-level corruption that Trump himself has consistently promised root out. The Qatari royal family plans to give the luxury Boeing 747-8, estimated to be worth $400m (£300m), to the US Department of Defence to be used as part of a fleet of planes dubbed Air Force One – the president's official mode of air travel. The current fleet includes two 747-200 jets which have been in use since 1990, along with several smaller and somewhat secretive 757s. The White House says that the new plane – which could require years and millions of dollars to refit and upgrade – will be transferred to Trump's presidential library at the end of his term. After the news broke on Sunday, the backlash was fierce and immediate. "I think the technical term is 'skeezy'," deadpanned conservative Daily Wire commentator Ben Shapiro on his podcast. "Qatar is not allegedly giving President Trump a $400m jet out of the goodness of their sweet little hearts," he said. "They try to stuff money into pockets in totally bipartisan fashion." He and others pointed to allegations that Qatar has funnelled money into terrorist groups – allegations the country has denied – and called Qataris "the world's largest proponents of terrorism on an international scale." Laura Loomer, the conspiracy-spreading social media influencer who agitates for sackings of top White House officials deemed insufficiently loyal, interrupted her steady stream of pro-Trump messaging to criticise the move. Although she said she still supports the president, she called the plane deal "a stain" and posted a cartoon of the Trojan Horse, redrawn as a plane and filled with armed Islamist militants. Trump found little support for the plan in more mainstream outlets as well. The New York Post, which usually can be counted on to back much of the populist Maga agenda, ran a blunt editorial: "Qatar's 'Palace in the Sky' jet is NOT a 'free gift' - and Trump shouldn't accept it as one." And Mark Levin, a consistent cheerleader of the president on Fox News and his radio talk show, posted on X accusing Qatar of being a "terror state" and wrote: "Their jet and all the other things they are buying in our country does not provide them with the cover they seek". During his first term, Trump himself accused Qatar of funding terror groups. The BBC contacted the Qatari embassy in Washington for comment. In response to criticism of the deal, the White House has doubled down. Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the administration was "committed to full transparency". "Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws," she said. Although there has been nothing offered in exchange for the plane, many commentators said it would be naïve to expect that that Qatari royal family would hand out such a large item with no strings attached. "They very obviously see that if you reward Donald Trump with gifts, that may pay off down the road," Doug Heye, a political strategist and former communications director for the Republican National Committee, told the BBC. "Flattery gets you somewhere with Donald Trump, and we've seen that time and time again." The US Constitution includes a clause preventing officials from accepting "any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State." But the White House has pointed out that, at least to begin with, the plane is being gifted to the US government. Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly investigated the legality of the deal and determined that because there are no explicit conditions attached, it would not amount to a bribe. Conservatives and others were quick to point out that Bondi was registered as a lobbyist for Qatar prior to joining Trump's cabinet, at some points earning up to $115,0000 (£87,000) a month from her work for the Qatari government. The Trump Organisation also continues to maintain links to Qatar and last month announced a deal to build a luxury golf resort in the country. Is Trump allowed to accept a $400m luxury plane as a gift? During a news conference at the White House on Tuesday the president berated a reporter who raised questions about the ethics of the transaction. "What do you say to people who view that luxury jet as a personal gift to you?" asked ABC reporter Rachel Scott. "You should be embarrassed asking that question," Trump replied, after using his standard "fake news" jibe. "They're giving us a free jet," the president said. "I could say 'No, no, no, don't give us, I want to pay you a billion or 400 million'… or I could say 'thank you very much'." On Truth Social, the president later reposted several messages pointing out that the Statue of Liberty was a gift from France, and wrote late Tuesday: "The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME!" "Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country," he wrote. However even some within Trump's Republican Party were expressing concern. "I think it's not worth the appearance of impropriety, whether it's improper or not," Rand Paul, Republican senator from Kentucky, told Fox News. "I wonder if our ability to judge [Qatar's] human rights record will be clouded by the fact of this large gift," Paul said. Another Republican senator, Ted Cruz of Texas, said accepting the gift would pose "significant espionage and surveillance problems". Trump did find some support within his party. "Free is good. You know, we don't have a lot of money right now to buy things like that," Sen Tommy Tuberville told CNN. Doug Heye, the Republican strategist, suggested that the deal might not hurt Trump's popularity with his base in the long term. "Trump has been able for years now to turn scandals that would otherwise be debilitating for other politicians into things that we forget," he said. "He's very skilled at that." Is Trump allowed to accept $400m luxury plane as a gift? Trump defends plan to use Qatari luxury jet for Air Force One Trump touts 'record' Boeing-Qatar Airways deal
Qatar Tribune
13-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
US and Saudi Arabia agree to $142bn weapons sale
The administration of United States President Donald Trump says that Saudi Arabia will invest $600bn in the United States, including through technology partnerships and a weapons sales agreement worth $142bn. A fact sheet shared by the White House on Tuesday explains that the agreement, which also includes collaboration in areas such as energy and mineral development, is the largest-ever weapons sale between the two countries. 'The deals celebrated today are historic and transformative for both countries and represent a new golden era of partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia,' the fact sheet reads. The pact represents a deepening of economic and military ties between the two countries, a trend that has continued for decades under both Republican and Democratic US presidents. Trump was in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Tuesday as part of a Middle East tour, marking the first major international trip of his second term as president. Later in the week, he is expected to make stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. But already, the trip has renewed criticisms that Trump may use the diplomatic outing to advance personal interests. The proposed transfer of a $400m luxury aeroplane, for instance, from Qatar to the US Department of Defence has raised questions in the US about the ethics and constitutionality of accepting gifts from foreign governments. During his first term as president, in 2017, Trump likewise included Saudi Arabia on his first major trip abroad, a voyage that similarly culminated in a multibillion-dollar arms deal. But the global outcry over the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a consulate in Istanbul briefly threatened to upend the relationship. The US government has alleged that forces linked to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman were responsible for the killing. Tuesday's agreement is designed to help modernise the Saudi military with 'state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen US defense firms', according to the White House fact sheet. 'The first key component of this is upgrading the defence capabilities of Saudi Arabia,' Al Jazeera correspondent Hashem Ahelbarra reported from Riyadh. 'This is a country that has been trying to invest vast amounts of money over the last few years' in its military, he added. But the newly minted deal is not limited to security cooperation. The agreement also lays out a plan in which Saudi Arabia will invest $20bn in energy infrastructure and data centres for artificial intelligence in the US, a significant infusion of cash into industries with close ties to the Trump administration. In both areas, US companies stand to reap a potential windfall. 'Saudi Arabia wants to become one of the top global investors in artificial intelligence, and that's why you see many tech CEOs here in Riyadh, who are looking forward to getting some of those contracts,' said Ahelbarra. The deal also includes references to collaboration on energy infrastructure and mineral investments, without offering many details.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US and Saudi Arabia agree to $142bn weapons sale during Trump visit
The administration of United States President Donald Trump says that Saudi Arabia will invest $600bn in the United States, including through technology partnerships and a weapons sales agreement worth $142bn. A fact sheet shared by the White House on Tuesday explains that the agreement, which also includes collaboration in areas such as energy and mineral development, is the largest-ever weapons sale between the two countries. 'The deals celebrated today are historic and transformative for both countries and represent a new golden era of partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia,' the fact sheet reads. The pact represents a deepening of economic and military ties between the two countries, a trend that has continued for decades under both Republican and Democratic US was in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on Tuesday as part of a Middle East tour, marking the first major international trip of his second term as president. Later in the week, he is expected to make stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. But already, the trip has renewed criticisms that Trump may use the diplomatic outing to advance personal interests. The proposed transfer of a $400m luxury aeroplane, for instance, from Qatar to the US Department of Defence has raised questions in the US about the ethics and constitutionality of accepting gifts from foreign governments. During his first term as president, in 2017, Trump likewise included Saudi Arabia on his first major trip abroad, a voyage that similarly culminated in a multibillion-dollar arms deal. But the global outcry over the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a consulate in Istanbul briefly threatened to upend the relationship. The US government has alleged that forces linked to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman were responsible for the killing. Tuesday's agreement is designed to help modernise the Saudi military with 'state-of-the-art warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen US defense firms', according to the White House fact sheet. 'The first key component of this is upgrading the defence capabilities of Saudi Arabia,' Al Jazeera correspondent Hashem Ahelbarra reported from Riyadh. 'This is a country that has been trying to invest vast amounts of money over the last few years' in its military, he added. But the newly minted deal is not limited to security cooperation. The agreement also lays out a plan in which Saudi Arabia will invest $20bn in energy infrastructure and data centres for artificial intelligence in the US, a significant infusion of cash into industries with close ties to the Trump administration. In both areas, US companies stand to reap a potential windfall. 'Saudi Arabia wants to become one of the top global investors in artificial intelligence, and that's why you see many tech CEOs here in Riyadh, who are looking forward to getting some of those contracts,' said Ahelbarra. The deal also includes references to collaboration on energy infrastructure and mineral investments, without offering many US administrations, including during Trump's first term in office, have used the inducement of greater collaboration on security and arms sales to push Saudi Arabia to normalise diplomatic relations with Israel. The two countries have never had formal diplomatic ties. But during Trump's first term, the Republican leader initiated a series of agreements known as the Abraham Accords to boost ties between Israel and various Middle East states. Countries like the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan agreed to recognise Israel as part of the agreements. But Saudi Arabia has been a holdout — and normalising ties between it and Israel could be seen as a crowning achievement for the second Trump administration. Israel's war in Gaza, however, has complicated those efforts. United Nations experts have warned that Israel's actions in Gaza were consistent with genocide, and South Africa has accused Israel of genocide before the International Court of Justice. The International Criminal Court, meanwhile, has issued arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant over accusations of war crimes. The spiralling death toll in Gaza and allegations of human rights abuses have caused outrage in the region and hardened Riyadh's insistence that normalisation should come only as part of a wider agreement on a Palestinian state, a move Israel is not willing to consider.
