Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia will make its own decisions on defence spending amid a call to arms from the United States.
This comes after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Australia to lift its defence investment to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) as soon as possible during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
When asked about the request from the United States, Albanese indicated that Australia would make its own strategic decisions and pointed to the government’s 2.3 percent defence spending target.
“What you should do in defence is decide what you need, your capability, and then provide for it. That’s what my government’s doing. Investing in our capability and investing in our relationships,” Albanese told reporters on June 2….
Albanese Stands By Defence Spending Amid US Push for Increase to 3.5 Percent
