U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held their first official meeting overnight at the White House.
A critical minerals agreement between the two countries topped the agenda, aimed at securing supply for technology and defence industries.
The meeting came after months of attempts at formal talks, and follows a brief interaction at the UN General Assembly in New York last month.
Both leaders described the talks as a success, with Albanese saying they were “great friends”.
Minerals deal
The two leaders signed a multi-billion dollar critical minerals and rare earth elements agreement, aimed at securing the supply needed for “essential for energy security and defence.”
Rare earth elements are a group of minerals used in many modern products, like smartphones and wind turbines.
Australia holds many deposits of these minerals.
The two governments will back two major critical mineral mining projects in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
One will also receive funding from Japan, which has already funded half of its total cost.
Albanese hailed the agreement as a “testament to the trusted partnership” between Australia and the U.S.
Trump described the deal as one the pair has been working on ”for quite a while.”
Defence
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Trump and Albanese furthered talks about AUKUS, a defence deal between Australia, the UK, and the U.S.
The agreement involves plans to arm Australia with nuclear-powered submarines within the next 30 years.
The agreement has been broadly seen as an attempt by Western nations to curb China’s influence in the region.
The U.S announced it was reviewing the agreement earlier this year. Trump downplayed concerns about its future at a press conference following the meeting.
Other deals
Australian superannuation funds are set to increase their investments in the U.S. to more than $US1.4 trillion ($AU2 trillion) by 2035.
Both countries’ space agencies also signed a new partnership to increase collaborations, including plans to use Australian lunar rovers in a U.S. mission to “return astronauts to the Moon”.
The two nations have also agreed to establish a joint pact to invest in AI and quantum technology.
Rudd
Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has served as Australia’s ambassador to the U.S. since 2023, managing the two countries’ diplomatic and political relations.
Following Trump’s 2024 re-election, Rudd faced calls for his resignation after since-deleted social media posts criticising Trump resurfaced.
Rudd called Trump “the most destructive president in history” and a “traitor to the West.”
During a joint press conference, Trump was asked about whether he held concerns about Rudd's position in the role. Trump said he didn't like Rudd, and "never will."
