As it happened: US president vows speedy delivery of AUKUS submarines to Australia, tells Rudd ‘I don’t like you either’

Thank you for following our rolling coverage of the historic meeting between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Here’s a recap of what went down:

• Albanese enjoyed a mostly friendly and constructive face-to-face meeting with Trump.
• The president clearly affirmed the AUKUS defence pact, telling this masthead that the Biden-era agreement had been moving too slowly but now “we have it all set”. Trump said: “With Anthony, we’ve worked on this long and hard. We’re starting that process right now. I think it’s really moving along very rapidly, very well.”
• A landmark critical minerals deal was struck, paving the way for joint rare earths projects between the two countries, as well as US projects in Australia. Albanese said Australia and the US would each contribute $US1 billion ($1.54 billion) over the next six months for projects that are immediately available, and the deal would unlock an $US8.5 billion pipeline of projects.
• The meeting was briefly soured by an awkward moment when Trump was asked about disparaging tweets Australia ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd had made about him in the past. Trump told Rudd: “I don’t like you either, and probably never will.” Albanese treated the exchange as a joke, and Rudd later privately apologised to Trump after reporters left the room. “All’s forgiven,” Trump said, according to sources in the room.
• The incident prompted the federal opposition to call for Rudd to be immediately removed from his post in Washington, with Opposition Leader Sussan Ley saying his position had become “untenable”. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has defended Rudd and said “the success of this meeting” was in great part due to his work.
• Albanese invited Trump to visit Australia and the president said he would like to, and would give it serious consideration.

This is where we will end today’s coverage of the event, however you can follow along with our national news live blog for more rolling updates on the latest news from Australia and beyond throughout the afternoon.

Trump and Albanese got straight down to business after they met.

They signed an agreement on rare earth and critical minerals, which is aimed at ensuring a steady supply of the materials at a time when China is trying to tighten control over global supply.

Trump said the deal had been negotiated over four or five months. The Australian PM described it as an $US8.5 billion ($13.1 billion) pipeline “that we have ready to go.”

The full terms of the agreement were not immediately available, but Albanese said both countries will contribute $US1 billion over the next six months for joint projects.

The two leaders said part of the agreement had to do with processing of the minerals.

Anthony Albanese and his team, including ambassador Kevin Rudd, should be very pleased with their meeting with US President Donald Trump.

They achieved the main objective which was to get in and out without mishap. Trump lavished Albanese with praise and Albanese lavished back without appearing sycophantic.

He maintained his dignity with charm and good humour. It was definitely a 10/10 in diplomatic and political terms.

But while Trump’s warm words will cheer the credulous, they do not alter reality.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has his say here.

Despite all the careful toadying required to grease the wheels of a prime minister hoping for a successful sit-down at the White House, this one is destined to remembered less for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s AUKUS and rare minerals triumphs than for the mortification of a former PM: Kevin Rudd.

It’s long been the way. When the forced-smile picture opportunities and the back-slapping and the declarations of undying loyalty between the US and Australia are all but forgotten, some exquisitely awkward moment has come to define such events for a string of prime ministers.

And now, Rudd finds himself in the frame for spoiling the Trump-Albanese love fest at the White House.

Read special writer Tony Wright’s observations here.

US Senator Todd Young, a Republican from Indiana and a China hawk, has welcomed the critical minerals deal inked by Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump.

“Glad to see this agreement with a trusted ally to help bolster our critical minerals supply chain and counter China’s influence,” he wrote in a post on X

In 2021, Young co-sponsored a $US280 billion ($429 billion) bill designed to allow the US to compete with China as the rival superpowers battle for economic and technological dominance.

The federal opposition has called for Kevin Rudd to be immediately removed from his post in Washington after President Donald Trump said he would never like Australia’s ambassador to the United States.

When reminded about past critical comments that Rudd had made about him during a White House meeting on Tuesday morning, Trump addressed the ambassador and said: “I don’t like you either, and probably never will.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese treated the exchange as a joke, and Rudd later privately apologised to Trump after reporters left the room.

“All’s forgiven,” Trump said, according to sources in the room.

The initial exchange between Trump and Rudd stood out as a rare tense moment in an otherwise friendly meeting dominated by mutual praise between Albanese and Trump.

Read more here.