Former President Donald Trump will hold a bilateral with Australian PM Anthony Albanese. That critical conversation will happen on the White House on October 20. The backdrop for this meeting is an increasingly tense era of great power competition. Major challenges such as migration, climate policy, and geopolitical alliances have reached a boiling point.
In a recent address lasting 58 minutes at the United Nations, Trump voiced strong criticism towards several countries, including Germany, Greece, Austria, and Switzerland, over what he described as “uncontrolled” migration. His remarks touched on Brazil, accusing its government of “targeting political critics in the United States.” Moreover, he accused China and India of being the “main sponsors” of Russia’s continued war in Ukraine.
AUKUS and Climate Change
As Trump and Albanese prepare to meet in the days ahead. Their goal is to establish a firm basis of relations and deepen public backing for the AUKUS security agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Australian Prime Minister Antony Albanese has been repeatedly pressed on this likely meeting. Each time, he plays it cool; it’s not a big deal, dodging questions about the specifics.
Three weeks before the planned visit, Albanese held a one-on-one phone call with then-candidate Trump. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has a tough road before him. They need to do so on contentious issues such as climate change and tariffs, where there are extreme differences in opinion.
As you’ve likely noticed, Trump has been quite loud when it comes to his climate skepticism, calling climate policies a no-go. He called them “the greatest con job on the world ever perpetrated,” showing how deep his opposition to the environmental movement runs. Those comments have sent environmental advocates scrambling for cover but his remarks play well to chunks of his nascent political base.
Tensions with Allies
Beyond his environmental critiques, Trump railed against a number of America’s key allies over their energy policies. He has previously condemned the UK and other countries for spending too much cash on wind and solar farms. He called this boondoggle a “green energy scam.” Such declarations can still change the tone of the entire meeting as Albania works to encourage collaboration while acknowledging divergent views.
Albanese is expected to emphasize Australia’s commitment to its international obligations while possibly seeking to align Trump’s views with those of Australia’s climate goals. The balancing act will include reinforcing AUKUS support while addressing Trump’s criticisms, which could impact future collaboration between the two nations.
Trump’s Broader Critique
In addition to his transactional tone, Trump’s speech at the UN included a much broader critique of international political dynamics. He claimed that every country, including our normal allies, all are going in the wrong direction. I’m very good at this shit, he bragged. Your countries are shitholes, he continued, illustrating his weird new jargon-free non-ideological populist style to diplomatic relations.
Trump’s confrontational stance raises questions about how he will engage with Albanese, especially in light of their differing views on governance and global cooperation. The Moscow meeting is being welcomed not only as a new channel of bilateral communication but as a manifestation of changing geopolitical paradigms.
