G7 Summit in Canada: Australian PM Anthony Albanese to Meet US President Donald Trump

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Saturday that he will meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada, marking the first in-person meeting between the two leaders, Reuters reported. The talks, scheduled for Tuesday, are expected to address key issues including the AUKUS defense pact, tariffs and US defense spending requests.

What Are the Key Issues on the Agenda?

Albanese, who had previously expressed eagerness for a “face-to-face” meeting with Trump, reportedly said the discussions would be constructive and cover a range of topics. “We do have a meeting scheduled. 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,” Albanese said during a visit to Seattle, according to an official transcript cited by the agency.

Among the central topics of conversation will be the AUKUS defense pact, a trilateral security agreement formed between Australia, the US and the UK in 2021. “Obviously, we’ll raise tariffs, we’ll raise the importance as well of AUKUS, and we will have a discussion as two friends should,” Albanese added.

The Australian government has committed A$368 billion over three decades to the partnership, which is primarily focused on countering China’s growing military influence in the Indo-Pacific region, the report said. The review of the nuclear submarine program, which is integral to AUKUS, will also likely be a significant part of the talks, especially after the Pentagon recently announced it was revisiting aspects of the partnership, as reported by Reuters.

US Defense Spending Request to Feature in Discussions

Albanese also acknowledged that the US has requested Australia to increase its defense spending from 2% to 3.5% of GDP. This request, which is expected to feature prominently in their meeting, has been a topic of ongoing discussions between the two allies.

“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,” Albanese said, per Reuters.

Military Cooperation and the Talisman Sabre Exercise

In the lead-up to the G7 summit, Australia also showcased its growing military cooperation with the US. On Saturday, the US Navy’s warship USS Ronald Reagan arrived in Sydney Harbour for joint war games. The Talisman Sabre exercises, the largest Australian-US war-fighting exercise, will involve more than 30,000 personnel from 19 countries and serve as a demonstration of the strength of the defense ties between the two nations, as reported by Reuters.

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