Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump met at a reception for world leaders in New York on Tuesday night, hours after confirming a formal meeting in Washington next month. The Australian prime minister posted a selfie with the US president on Instagram, captioning it: "Good to chat with President Donald Trump."
The White House confirmed the meeting on 20 October, where they are expected to discuss the Aukus nuclear submarine deal, defence spending demands, and trade tariffs. It will be the third time in six months Albanese has travelled to the US.
Earlier, Trump used his UN address to dismiss moves by allies including Australia to recognise Palestinian statehood, insisting that countries should demand the return of hostages from the 7 October attacks. Albanese said it was good to hear Trump's views.
Trump also blasted climate change efforts as a "scam", calling the green energy agenda the "greatest con job ever perpetrated". He warned that countries sticking with green policies would fail. Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong listened as Trump criticised migration and lamented the difficulty of ending the war in Ukraine.
