Albanese Backs Nuclear Submarine Expansion Under AUKUS Ahead of Trump Talks

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese affirmed that increasing nuclear-powered submarines through the AUKUS alliance with the U.S. and U.K. would strengthen Indo-Pacific security and serve U.S. strategic interests. Speaking in Calgary on Monday, Albanese emphasized the importance of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines for regional stability.

Albanese is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time on Tuesday during the G7 summit. Their talks will address U.S. tariffs on Australian steel and aluminum, as well as Washington's recent review of the AUKUS treaty. About 10% of Australia’s steel and aluminum exports go to the U.S., and Albanese criticized the tariffs as “economic self-harm.”

He plans to highlight Australia's significant contributions to U.S. submarine production under AUKUS, including investment in American industrial capacity and expanded access for U.S. submarines to Australian maintenance facilities. He also referenced the ongoing U.S. military presence in Darwin as a testament to the strong bilateral defense partnership.

Rejecting a U.S. request to raise defense spending to 3.5% of GDP, Albanese stated that Australia would fund its defense based on capability needs rather than arbitrary targets.

Albanese also met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss Canada’s potential role in AUKUS Pillar Two, which focuses on joint development of advanced defense technologies. He stressed the importance of strong, trusted partnerships with allies like Canada in an increasingly uncertain global environment.

He will further engage with EU leaders to advance a proposed defense pact and seek progress in ongoing free trade negotiations. Meanwhile, a Lowy Institute poll revealed that trust in the U.S. among Australians has dropped to 36%, although two-thirds still support AUKUS.