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https://theconversation.com/can-albanese-claim-success-with-trump-beyond-the-banter-the-vague-commitments-should-be-viewed-with-scepticism-267434>
"By all the usual diplomatic measures, Australian Prime Minister Anthony
Albanese’s meeting with US President Donald Trump was a great success.
“Success” in a meeting with Trump is to avoid the ritual humiliation the
president sometimes likes to inflict on his interlocutors. In that sense,
Albanese and his team pulled off an impressive diplomatic feat.
While there was one awkward moment with Australia’s ambassador to the United
States, former prime minister Kevin Rudd, on the scale of Trumpian
possibilities, that was relatively minor.
Much of the media coverage has noted the laughter and ripples of relief that
spread through the room as the moment was handled deftly by everyone involved.
There is much relief, too, that Albanese appears to have “confirmed” the AUKUS
nuclear-powered submarine deal will go ahead, despite the as-yet-unreleased
Trump administration review of the agreement.
Albanese went into the White House meeting under considerable pressure to
extract some kind of guarantee about the delivery of the Virginia-class
submarines to Australia from the volatile president.
Albanese seems to have met those expectations: Trump waved away concerns about
the United States’ commitment to deal, overriding the more cautious language of
his secretary of the navy with a clear assurance to Albanese and the press
pack: “Oh no, they’re getting them”.
Albanese also signed, in bold Trumpian Sharpie style, a critical minerals deal
with the US president. This is being taken as reassurance the United States
remains committed to its alliance with Australia – an alliance that, like the
critical minerals deal, is framed largely as a question of “security”.
As is common with the Trump administration, however, much of the detail is
unclear or a problem for the future.
The deal envisioned “unlocking” up to US$5 billion (A$7.7 billion) in private
investment. There are already rumblings about what the Australian government
will give away in the deal, and just what “slashing red tape” on project
approvals might mean."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
