President says US has no better friend than Australia but tells ambassador Kevin Rudd “I don’t like you’
-
‘I don’t like you either’: diplomats hold their breath as Trump chides Rudd over previous comments
-
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
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 multibillion-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.
