The White House has again called on Australia to increase its defence spending, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is not budging.
Karoline Leavitt, Donald Trump’s press secretary, wants Australia to follow the lead of NATO member states, who have agreed to raise defence spending to 3.5 per cent of their GDP. But Albanese is not convinced.
“We’ve Lifted Our Spending”
“We have lifted our spending,” Albanese said. “We are providing for our defence investment, including $57 billion of additional investment.
I have said very clearly we will invest in the capability that Australia needs.”
Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles announced an extra $50.3 billion investment in defence up to 2034, taking Australia’s defence spend from 2 per cent of GDP to 2.3 per cent.
Spain Breaks Ranks with NATO
Not all NATO members are on board with the 5 per cent target, however.
Spain has rejected the US request, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez writing that “committing to a 5 per cent target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive” for Spain’s security and defence ecosystem.
AUKUS Deal Under Review
Australia has made payments for US submarines under the $368 billion AUKUS pact, but the Pentagon is reviewing the trilateral agreement, putting the future of the deal in question.
Defence Minister Richard Marles is playing down the implications of the review, citing a similar process in the UK that ended with renewed approval for the agreement.