US Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth called on Australia to increase defence spending ‘as soon as possible.’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to Members of the Labor Government in the caucus meeting in Canberra, Australia, on May 9, 2025. Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia will make its own decisions on defence spending amid a call to arms from the United States.
This comes after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Australia to lift its defence investment to 3.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) as soon as possible during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
