Australia¡¯s deputy prime minister said the nation will base defense spending on national interest, amid calls by President Donald Trump for U.S. Indo-Pacific allies to increase military budgets.
Richard Marles, who serves concurrently as Australia¡¯s defense minister, will join NATO leaders for meetings in the coming week at the Hague. "There will inevitably be conversations around defense spending,¡± he said in a Sky News Australia interview Sunday.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has urged Australia to increase its defense budget, part of a broader push by the Trump administration to encourage allies to raise it toward 5% of gross domestic product. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the nation would determine its own levels of military expenditure.
"We will have a respectful conversation with the United States, of course we will do that, and of course we will determine our own defense spending based on Australia¡¯s national interest,¡± Marles said.
When asked if Australia needs a stronger military deterrent for China, Marles said: "We are building a defense force with a very clear strategic objective, and that strategic objective is to be able to deter the coercion of any potential adversary.¡±
The Australian government is currently aiming to increase defense spending to 2.4% of gross domestic product by the financial year ending 2034, a significant boost but below what Trump seeks from U.S. allies.
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