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Australia will not raise its defence spending targets despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, choosing instead to follow its own military strategy, Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles told reporters that the country would maintain its current defence budget path, focusing on national priorities rather than international pressure.
Marles' comments come as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to push allies to spend more on defence, threatening those who resist with tougher trade policies. Trump recently criticized Spain for refusing to adopt NATO’s proposed 5% of GDP defence spending target and suggested punitive trade measures may follow.
Australia, which is not a NATO member, currently spends around 2% of GDP on defence and plans to increase this to 2.3% by 2033–2034. Marles emphasized that this decision reflects Australia’s own strategic assessments, not external demands.
“We have gone through our own process of assessing our strategic landscape... and what that has seen is the biggest peacetime increase in Australian defence spending,” he said.
Despite efforts by Canberra to secure a first face-to-face meeting between a senior Australian official and President Trump, Marles did not speak directly with the U.S. president or Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during the summit.
Australia is also in talks to gain exemptions from new U.S. tariffs, including a 50% levy on steel and aluminium, but officials have not indicated whether a breakthrough is likely.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 10th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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Germany's export slump since 2021 is largely driven by deep-rooted competitiveness issues, the Bundesbank warned in its latest report, calling for urgent structural reforms.
Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney is reportedly the top contender to become the next Bond girl, as director Denis Villeneuve and Amazon look to modernise the James Bond franchise.
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Kazakhstan is weighing cryptocurrency-related investments as part of its strategy to diversify national reserves and modernise financial management, according to the chairman of the National Bank.
Electric car sales in Germany surged to a new record in the first half of 2025, making up 17.7% of all new vehicle registrations, according to the German road traffic agency KBA. Despite a 4.7% drop in overall car sales, demand for EVs grew by 35% year-on-year.
U.S. consumer prices rose at their fastest pace in five months in June, signaling the early impact of tariffs on inflation. However, subdued demand and falling service prices may keep the Federal Reserve cautious about rate changes.
A feasibility study for building a production chain at the Dashkesan iron ore deposits complex in Azerbaijan will be conducted after Dashkesan Iron Ore LLC, a subsidiary of CJSC AzerGold, signed an agreement with China's Sinosteel Equipment & Engineering Co Ltd.
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