Two former Australian foreign ministers have issued a stark warning, urging the Albanese government to urgently reconsider the nation's alliance with the United States. Their call comes amid growing alarm over former President Donald Trump's recent military intervention in Venezuela and his renewed push to claim Greenland.
A 'Colossal Challenge' for Australian Security
Speaking to Guardian Australia in the wake of the US operation that led to the seizure of Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, former Labor foreign minister Bob Carr described Trump's America as a "fiercely unpredictable" ally. Carr, who served as foreign minister from 2012 to 2013, stated this unpredictability presents a "colossal challenge" for Australia and its national security establishment.
"Our US ally is fiercely unpredictable and dedicated ruthlessly to American national interests, without any pretence of being committed to universal values or a global, rules-based order," Carr said. He added that the situation forces Australia to ask profound questions, noting, "This is an utterly different America than the one that generated our rhetoric about shared values."
Evans Calls for AUKUS to be Abandoned
Another former Labor foreign minister, Gareth Evans, who held the portfolio from 1988 to 1996, echoed these grave concerns. Evans argued that Trump's actions "put beyond doubt that his America has zero respect for international law, morality, and the interests of its allies and partners."
He explicitly called for the AUKUS security pact to be reconsidered and abandoned. "It's a wake-up call that can no longer be ignored by the Australian government," Evans stated. "It's now more than time for the AUKUS submarine project to be abandoned, and our defence capability to be built in our own interests, not those of a now totally unreliable United States."
Evans criticised the fundamental logic of AUKUS, pointing out a "crazy irony": the pact commits Australia to spend vast sums on a capability that might attract threats precisely because it exists, potentially dragging the country into US conflicts not in its national interest.
Australia's Cautious Response and Broader Context
The Australian government's response to the US actions in Venezuela and concerning Greenland has been measured. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government was "monitoring developments", calling for adherence to international law and a peaceful democratic transition in Venezuela.
Carr suggested the government's cautious approach was wise for now, advising it to "keep our head down and watch closely." However, he emphasised the deep uncertainty Trump's "burst of unilateralism" creates for the world and the alliance.
The concerns are amplified by broader US actions under Trump. In January, the US government withdrew from 66 international organisations and treaties, including UN commissions on peacekeeping and international law. Furthermore, the AUKUS pact itself was put under review by the Pentagon after the Trump administration was sworn in, despite Trump having endorsed it during a meeting with Albanese in October.
Both Carr and Evans have long been critics of the AUKUS agreement, but they insist recent events demand an urgent and fundamental rethink of Australia's military and diplomatic reliance on the United States.
