Albanese at the White House: Trump endorses Aukus, signs $8.5bn rare earths deal and calls PM ‘great leader’
President says US has no better friend than Australia but tells ambassador Kevin Rudd “I don’t like you’
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Donald Trump has strongly endorsed the Aukus pact and praised prime minister Anthony Albanese as a “great” leader, but the president’s navy secretary says the US may seek to “clarify some ambiguities” in the nuclear submarine deal.
Trump and Albanese also signed a multi-billion dollar agreement for Australia to supply the United States with critical minerals, amid a deepening trade war as China threatens to cut its supply of rare earth elements. But the president also downplayed any prospect of cutting tariffs on Australian goods. Continue reading...