Latest news with #Marles
Sky News AU
18 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Richard Marles' 'ridiculous' position on defence funding comes at a bad time as NATO nations vow to ramp up their budgets
Why didn't Richard Marles explain to Donald Trump and the other 31 leaders of NATO nations that they don't need to invest more in their nations' defence to deal with an aggressive Russia enabled by China? Instead, they only need to focus on the quality of their existing two per cent of GDP spend. Surely they would be delighted to know that the actual amount of money they allocate to their military is a mere distraction. I suspect the reason Mr Marles kept this theory to himself is because he knows it's ridiculous. It's a manoeuvre that can justify sitting on his hands while our nation faces dangerous times. Politicians are used to using arguments of convenience to get through their days and avoid uncomfortable facts, but when it comes to Australia's security, we've reached new high points of sophistry and avoidance. Unlike our own leader Mr Albanese and his deputy Richard Marles, NATO leaders apparently do think the headline budget for defence matters. That's why the national leaders of this 32 nation grouping have just agreed to lift defence spending from two per cent of GDP to five per cent (made up of 3.5 per cent on defence and another 1.5 per cent on defence-related investments like roads and bridges that can support heavy military equipment). Mr Marles must also have known that the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had been trying out the other line on defence spending that the Albanese government uses here at home to hide the fact they're leaving our military short. Mr Sanchez had tried to convince other European leaders that 2.1 per cent of GDP on defence was enough because Spain knew the capabilities it needed and this determined their spend. Sound familiar? Except that we're not even matching Spain, we're stuck at two per cent (and Spain isn't trying to afford nuclear submarines in their budget). The reaction to this ploy by the Spanish leader in Europe was best captured by an official who simply said 'I have no words to express my disgust'. So, no surprise Mr Marles would have been delighted to be squashed up in the back corner of the formal leaders' photo well out of the way. He must have been even more delighted to not have to meet Donald Trump or any other senior US administration figure and be forced into a serious conversation. Reacting to the Spanish government's position, Trump has since said he's considering doubling US tariffs on Spain to shift their thinking. One other point on the 'we fund the capabilities we need rather than setting some arbitrary top line number' nonsense from our government. The government's own strategic review, by Angus Houston and Stephen Smith, recommended a list of capabilities Australia's military needed and quick as a flash, the government didn't fund them. They set an arbitrary top line budget – two per cent of GDP – and cancelled plans the review supported on key systems like air and missile defence and support ships to let our Navy operate at range. The hypocrisy is so thick it's getting hard to breathe. Now, what about Mr Marles' new manoeuvre – the money you budget to spend isn't what matters, it's the quality of how you spend it? I tried that out at home, but my partner told me our budget was what determined what we can and can't buy. And Joseph Stalin famously said 'quantity has a quality all its own'. That's still true. But beyond that, the way the Australian Defence organisation spends the $59 billion taxpayers are giving it annually is wasteful and profligate. The last thing it could be described as is quality. So, we're in the worst of worlds: not spending enough and spending what we do have badly. In international defence circles, the extravagance and delay in Australia's acquisition of three Hunter class frigates ranks near the top of scandal-plagued defence programs. The frigates were chosen back in 2018, but it's taking until 2032 for the first ship to be delivered to the Navy. And each ship is costing $9 billion (our three better armed air warfare destroyers cost less than $3 billion each). The Hunter frigates are so lightly armed that when we have the first three sometime in the late 2030s, they would all be outgunned and overmatched by the single Chinese cruiser that circumnavigated Australia earlier this year. The Americans are thinking about cancelling their own frigate program that's buying Constellation class ships similar to our Hunters because it's taking nine years to get the first ship (not 14 years like us) and each ship is costing $AUD1.8 billion (not $9 billion). The Americans think this is outrageously delayed and expensive, but our Navy's Hunter program makes it look like a beacon of efficiency. Our Navy has more admirals than it does warships – and Admirals are meant to command fleets. The Hunter frigates are Faberge egg level of luxurious self indulgence. And those Faberge eggs were the high point of extravagance and decay in the Russian empire of the czars on its way to being toppled by the Russian Revolution. If only the same was in prospect in the halls of Defence Headquarters in Canberra, without the violence. One other example from a completely different part of our Defence organisation shows the Hunter scandal is not a lonely phenomenon. Back in 2020, the then Morrison government's Force Structure Update said that being able to build at least some of the missiles our military would need in time of war was an urgent and essential thing and instructed Defence to act. Defence responded, rapidly forming a new internal bureaucratic outfit within Defence it called the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance enterprise. Five years on its 900 person staff have however, not proven to be terribly enterprising. There is one piece of good news: they have managed to give one company a contract to build a missile factory in Newcastle. But apart from that, the primary other outcome from what must be at least a $100 million per annum staff bill so far seems to be funding a study about where a large shed – grandly named the Australian Weapons Manufacturing Complex - might eventually be located that Lockheed Martin can then use to assemble short range land missiles made in America (the government has talked about this as 'production'). Do we need 900 people in a new organisation within the already bloated Defence organisation to sign contracts with companies? Everything it is doing looks just like business as usual for Defence before it even existed. And can we afford to be so sleepy about an essential input for our military that we know they will run out of in weeks if there is a war? Plenty of other nations get much better value for what they spend on defence. Finland, Norway, Singapore, Poland and South Korea are examples, let alone Ukraine and Israel. So, change is possible. The money Defence is getting is delivering a weaker military right at the time Australia needs a stronger one. The huge expense of the very slow projects the government is allowing Defence to spend our taxpayer funds on – Hunter frigates and nuclear powered submarines – is sucking all the money out of the rest of our force and doing nothing for our security for the next 15 years. This is what Mr Marles describes as doing what is necessary to 'meet the strategic moment'. Australia deserves better from our government and our defence bureaucracy. And so do the men and women of our defence force. Michael Shoebridge is a contributor and the founder and director of Strategic Analysis Australia
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘What a waste': Peta Credlin slams Albanese's NATO decision
Sky News host Peta Credlin slams the Albanese government's decision to send Richard Marles and his entourage to the NATO summit. 'What a waste of $100,000 or so it would have cost taxpayers to send Richard Marles and his entourage to the NATO summit this week,' Ms Credlin said. 'And for Marles then to miss out not just on a meeting with the US President, but also his own counterpart, the US Defence Secretary. 'And just in case Marles misread the snub, his place in the NATO family photograph made it all crystal clear. 'Not just to us in Australia but every other government in the world who knows how to read these sort of diplomatic displays.'
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Australia sticks to guns on defence as allies shell out
Australia is standing firm against US pressure to lift defence spending but looks "underdone" as European leaders endorse a five per cent commitment of their gross domestic product to security. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its spending levels to meet its military needs. The move risks a rebuke from US President Donald Trump, who has made clear he expects allies to drastically step up and increase their share of deterrence. The nation moving to a floor of a three per cent spend on defence was a "prudent minimum", Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Euan Graham said. He said the defence force had been "hollowed out", so the federal government could afford to invest in future capabilities which might be needed sooner than previously thought. "Australia in broad terms now is looking rather underdone in terms of defence, having committed just over the 2 per cent GDP equivalent, which was the old NATO target, but that was for a different era," Dr Graham said. "The narrative has been changed, both by US pressure and let's not forget also the primary factor, which is deteriorating security globally." NATO members agreed to increase defence and security spending to five per cent of GDP. But Spain objected to the pledge, prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own process, which involves the nation's defence spending increasing from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "A very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. As our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not meet with Mr Trump, or US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face of an Australian minister with the US president. Dr Graham said any embarrassment on Australia's part was mitigated by the limited representation of Asian partners at the summit. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor reiterated the coalition's call for spending to lift to three per cent of the economy. He took aim at Labor's failure to secure a meeting with Mr Trump, pointing to a flagged sit down with Xi Jinping. "It seems that the prime minister is better able to get a meeting with the president of China than the president of the United States," Mr Taylor said. But the defence minister did meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia will deploy a RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, in addition to 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters Australia is standing firm against US pressure to lift defence spending but looks "underdone" as European leaders endorse a five per cent commitment of their gross domestic product to security. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its spending levels to meet its military needs. The move risks a rebuke from US President Donald Trump, who has made clear he expects allies to drastically step up and increase their share of deterrence. The nation moving to a floor of a three per cent spend on defence was a "prudent minimum", Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Euan Graham said. He said the defence force had been "hollowed out", so the federal government could afford to invest in future capabilities which might be needed sooner than previously thought. "Australia in broad terms now is looking rather underdone in terms of defence, having committed just over the 2 per cent GDP equivalent, which was the old NATO target, but that was for a different era," Dr Graham said. "The narrative has been changed, both by US pressure and let's not forget also the primary factor, which is deteriorating security globally." NATO members agreed to increase defence and security spending to five per cent of GDP. But Spain objected to the pledge, prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own process, which involves the nation's defence spending increasing from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "A very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. As our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not meet with Mr Trump, or US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face of an Australian minister with the US president. Dr Graham said any embarrassment on Australia's part was mitigated by the limited representation of Asian partners at the summit. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor reiterated the coalition's call for spending to lift to three per cent of the economy. He took aim at Labor's failure to secure a meeting with Mr Trump, pointing to a flagged sit down with Xi Jinping. "It seems that the prime minister is better able to get a meeting with the president of China than the president of the United States," Mr Taylor said. But the defence minister did meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia will deploy a RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, in addition to 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters Australia is standing firm against US pressure to lift defence spending but looks "underdone" as European leaders endorse a five per cent commitment of their gross domestic product to security. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its spending levels to meet its military needs. The move risks a rebuke from US President Donald Trump, who has made clear he expects allies to drastically step up and increase their share of deterrence. The nation moving to a floor of a three per cent spend on defence was a "prudent minimum", Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Euan Graham said. He said the defence force had been "hollowed out", so the federal government could afford to invest in future capabilities which might be needed sooner than previously thought. "Australia in broad terms now is looking rather underdone in terms of defence, having committed just over the 2 per cent GDP equivalent, which was the old NATO target, but that was for a different era," Dr Graham said. "The narrative has been changed, both by US pressure and let's not forget also the primary factor, which is deteriorating security globally." NATO members agreed to increase defence and security spending to five per cent of GDP. But Spain objected to the pledge, prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own process, which involves the nation's defence spending increasing from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "A very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. As our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not meet with Mr Trump, or US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face of an Australian minister with the US president. Dr Graham said any embarrassment on Australia's part was mitigated by the limited representation of Asian partners at the summit. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor reiterated the coalition's call for spending to lift to three per cent of the economy. He took aim at Labor's failure to secure a meeting with Mr Trump, pointing to a flagged sit down with Xi Jinping. "It seems that the prime minister is better able to get a meeting with the president of China than the president of the United States," Mr Taylor said. But the defence minister did meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia will deploy a RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, in addition to 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters Australia is standing firm against US pressure to lift defence spending but looks "underdone" as European leaders endorse a five per cent commitment of their gross domestic product to security. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its spending levels to meet its military needs. The move risks a rebuke from US President Donald Trump, who has made clear he expects allies to drastically step up and increase their share of deterrence. The nation moving to a floor of a three per cent spend on defence was a "prudent minimum", Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Euan Graham said. He said the defence force had been "hollowed out", so the federal government could afford to invest in future capabilities which might be needed sooner than previously thought. "Australia in broad terms now is looking rather underdone in terms of defence, having committed just over the 2 per cent GDP equivalent, which was the old NATO target, but that was for a different era," Dr Graham said. "The narrative has been changed, both by US pressure and let's not forget also the primary factor, which is deteriorating security globally." NATO members agreed to increase defence and security spending to five per cent of GDP. But Spain objected to the pledge, prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own process, which involves the nation's defence spending increasing from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "A very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. As our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not meet with Mr Trump, or US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face of an Australian minister with the US president. Dr Graham said any embarrassment on Australia's part was mitigated by the limited representation of Asian partners at the summit. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor reiterated the coalition's call for spending to lift to three per cent of the economy. He took aim at Labor's failure to secure a meeting with Mr Trump, pointing to a flagged sit down with Xi Jinping. "It seems that the prime minister is better able to get a meeting with the president of China than the president of the United States," Mr Taylor said. But the defence minister did meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support for Kyiv in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia will deploy a RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, in addition to 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters
Courier-Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Courier-Mail
Australia deploying plane, ADF personnel to Europe in NATO pledge
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Australia is deploying a surveillance plane and some 100 defence personnel to Poland in a major pledge to NATO allies. The move comes amid growing fears Russia's war in Ukraine could spill over the border and trigger a much broader conflict in Europe. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles announced the deployment from the NATO Summit in the Netherlands overnight. 'We just concluded a really successful summit here at the NATO gathering in The Hague,' Mr Marles told reporters. 'We have been able to announce that we will be deploying an E-7 Wedgetail to Poland in August for a three-month rotation, which will help support Ukraine in its struggle and defiance against Russia. 'There will be about 100 Australian personnel who come with that asset.' Australia is deploying an E-7A Wedgetail and some 100 defence personnel to Europe amid fears Russia's war in Ukraine could spread. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman Mr Marles, who is also defence minister, said Australia slapped further 'financial and travel sanctions on 37 individuals and seven entities' related to Russia's 'defence, energy and … other critical sectors'. The commitment builds on an agreement signed at the summit to deepen defence industry co-ordination as Australia and NATO countries scramble to ramp up production and procurement. Mr Marles said it would help both parties spend smarter – somewhat of a mantra for the Albanese government as it resists US calls to boost Australia's defence budget. He said the summit 'reaffirmed the connection that exists between the Indo Pacific on the one hand and the North Atlantic on the other'. 'We are obviously focused on the Indo Pacific in terms of our own strategic landscape, but what's happening here in Europe is having an influence on the strategic landscape in the Indo Pacific,' Mr Marles said. 'And as we seek to focus on the Indo Pacific, we really need to have an eye on what's occurring here, which is why this meeting has been so important and has grown importance over the last few years. And I see it as being very important as we go into the future.' Still no Trump meet Among the summit's attendees was Donald Trump. Neither Anthony Albanese nor any of his senior ministers have had an in-person meeting with the US President since his inauguration in January, driving concerns about the Prime Minister's management of the Australia-US alliance. Mr Marles was close to meeting Mr Trump as part of talks with the Indo Pacific Four (IP4), but a last-minute schedule change dashed chances of a face-to-face. US President Donald Trump attended the NATO Summit in the Netherlands. Picture: AFP / Nicolas Tucat Mr Marles said it was a 'really important meeting with the (NATO) Secretary General' all the same, stressing that fellow IP4 countries Japan, Korea and New Zealand 'are deeply important in terms of Australia's strategic interests'. 'In respect of all of them, we really are at a high point of our bilateral relationship, and we are working increasingly as a team,' he said. He added that having 'the best lines of communication possible with NATO, to be working as closely as possible with NATO is very much in the advantage of the four of us in terms of how we jointly assert our national interests within the Indo Pacific'. 'And it was a very important meeting in respect of that,' Mr Marles said. He also said he did not get to meet US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. They last met on the sidelines of the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore earlier this month. Mr Hegseth used the meeting to call on the Albanese government to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, igniting a major debate in Canberra and fuelling criticisms that Australia is ill-prepared to defend itself against an increasingly aggressive China. Mr Marles said it was not disappointing he did not get to meet his US counterpart. 'I'm in contact with Pete,' he said. 'We met in Singapore just a few weeks ago, and I met him literally a few months before that.' He said there would 'be opportunities to be able to further the conversations that need to be had with Pete Hegseth in the future'. No budge on budget NATO members agreeing to boost defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP was the key outcome of this week's summit. The collective commitment is a major win for Mr Trump, who has threatened to drop US military support for Europe it did not spend more. Mr Marles said it was 'obviously a very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending', but noted it was 'fundamentally a matter for NATO'. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says he is not disappointed he did not meet US President Donald Trump or his US defence counterpart Pete Hegseth. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman 'We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build in order to meet those threats, to meet the strategic moment, and then to resource that,' he said. 'And what that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian defence spending that we have seen in our history.' Mr Marles said the Albanese government's position was 'understood' by NATO. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher echoed the position when fronting media on Thursday, saying Labor had 'put billions of dollars into defence'. 'But I would again say in the last three years we put $11bn across the forward estimates and $57bn into defence over the medium term,' she told the ABC. 'We've been able to do that at a time we have put increases into health, and other important social programs. 'So … it is a balancing act. But the government's job is to make sure that all areas of government are funded properly, including defence.' While the Albanese government has committed record cash for the defence budget, much of it would not kick in until after 2029. With the Australia itself predicting a major global conflict by 2034 and some analysts warning of a US-China conflict before 2030, critics have argued the money is not flowing fast enough and instead tied up in longer-term projects at the cost of combat-readiness. Originally published as Australia deploying plane, ADF personnel to Poland in NATO pledge
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Business
- The Advertiser
Aust stands ground on defence spend despite NATO boost
Australia is standing firm on defence spending targets despite European nations vowing to rapidly ratchet up expenditure under pressure from US President Donald Trump. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its own spending levels to meet its own military needs. That risks drawing a rebuke from Mr Trump, who made clear he expects allies to drastically step up to reduce their reliance on the US. NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to five per cent of GDP. However, Spain refused prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. "You know what we're going to do? We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal and we're going to make them pay twice as much," he said. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. But Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own defence spending process, which will see the nation's share increase from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "Look, obviously, a very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending, and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build in order to meet those threats, to meet the strategic moment, and then to resource that. "And what that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending. "Now that is a story which is, which is understood here and we'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. And as our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not speak directly with Mr Trump, nor US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face meeting of an Australian minister with the US president. The deputy prime minister did however meet with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia would deploy an RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, along with 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. "It is a really important capability," Mr Marles said. "We are one of the few countries which operates it. And so, when I was in Ukraine in April of last year, it was really evident to me that this is a capability that would be much desired again." Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters Australia is standing firm on defence spending targets despite European nations vowing to rapidly ratchet up expenditure under pressure from US President Donald Trump. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its own spending levels to meet its own military needs. That risks drawing a rebuke from Mr Trump, who made clear he expects allies to drastically step up to reduce their reliance on the US. NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to five per cent of GDP. However, Spain refused prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. "You know what we're going to do? We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal and we're going to make them pay twice as much," he said. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. But Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own defence spending process, which will see the nation's share increase from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "Look, obviously, a very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending, and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build in order to meet those threats, to meet the strategic moment, and then to resource that. "And what that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending. "Now that is a story which is, which is understood here and we'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. And as our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not speak directly with Mr Trump, nor US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face meeting of an Australian minister with the US president. The deputy prime minister did however meet with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia would deploy an RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, along with 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. "It is a really important capability," Mr Marles said. "We are one of the few countries which operates it. And so, when I was in Ukraine in April of last year, it was really evident to me that this is a capability that would be much desired again." Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters Australia is standing firm on defence spending targets despite European nations vowing to rapidly ratchet up expenditure under pressure from US President Donald Trump. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its own spending levels to meet its own military needs. That risks drawing a rebuke from Mr Trump, who made clear he expects allies to drastically step up to reduce their reliance on the US. NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to five per cent of GDP. However, Spain refused prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. "You know what we're going to do? We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal and we're going to make them pay twice as much," he said. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. But Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own defence spending process, which will see the nation's share increase from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "Look, obviously, a very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending, and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build in order to meet those threats, to meet the strategic moment, and then to resource that. "And what that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending. "Now that is a story which is, which is understood here and we'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. And as our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not speak directly with Mr Trump, nor US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face meeting of an Australian minister with the US president. The deputy prime minister did however meet with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia would deploy an RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, along with 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. "It is a really important capability," Mr Marles said. "We are one of the few countries which operates it. And so, when I was in Ukraine in April of last year, it was really evident to me that this is a capability that would be much desired again." Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters Australia is standing firm on defence spending targets despite European nations vowing to rapidly ratchet up expenditure under pressure from US President Donald Trump. On the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia would decide its own spending levels to meet its own military needs. That risks drawing a rebuke from Mr Trump, who made clear he expects allies to drastically step up to reduce their reliance on the US. NATO countries, of which Australia is not a member, agreed to increase defence spending targets to five per cent of GDP. However, Spain refused prompting Mr Trump to threaten to punish the Iberian nation with a tougher trade deal. "You know what we're going to do? We're negotiating with Spain on a trade deal and we're going to make them pay twice as much," he said. Australia is also seeking to negotiate a reprieve from tariffs imposed by the US on imports, including a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium. But Mr Marles maintained Australia would stick with its own defence spending process, which will see the nation's share increase from two to 2.3 per cent by 2033/34. "Look, obviously, a very significant decision has been made here in relation to European defence spending, and that is fundamentally a matter for NATO," he said. "We've gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape, assessing the threats that exist there, and the kind of defence force we need to build in order to meet those threats, to meet the strategic moment, and then to resource that. "And what that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian Defence spending. "Now that is a story which is, which is understood here and we'll continue to assess what our needs are going forward. And as our prime minister has said, we will resource that." Mr Marles did not speak directly with Mr Trump, nor US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, despite intensive efforts by government officials to tee up a first face-to-face meeting of an Australian minister with the US president. The deputy prime minister did however meet with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov as Australia reaffirmed its support of Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Mr Marles announced Australia would deploy an RAAF Wedgetail surveillance aircraft to Poland, along with 100 defence force personnel, to help provide visibility for key humanitarian and military supply routes into Ukraine. The aircraft will be deployed for three months, concluding in November, and follows an earlier six-month deployment which was highly valued by the Ukrainians. "It is a really important capability," Mr Marles said. "We are one of the few countries which operates it. And so, when I was in Ukraine in April of last year, it was really evident to me that this is a capability that would be much desired again." Australia announced new financial sanctions and travel bans on 37 individuals and seven financial entities involved in Russia's defence, energy, transport, insurance, electronics and finance sectors, as well as "promulgators of Russian disinformation and propaganda". Mr Marles also signed an agreement with the NATO Support and Procurement Organisation, increasing co-operation in non-combat activities including logistics and capability acquisition. with Reuters
