No images? Click here
Full steam ahead: 2025 AUSMIN accelerates alliance ambitions
10 December 2025
Forty years ago, US Secretary of State George Shultz, US Commander of the Pacific Command Admiral William Crowe, Australian Foreign Minister Bill Hayden and Australian Defence Minister Kim Beazley met for the first Australian-Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN). These meetings were birthed from the disagreement amongst the ANZUS partners when New Zealand’s policy against nuclear weapons fundamentally changed the relationship between the three treaty partners. Australia and the United States drew closer together in this time and bilateral representatives have continued meeting to this day, regardless of political parties and geopolitical tensions.
This year's AUSMIN saw Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong meet with their US counterparts, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Beyond the usual rhetoric around friendship and aligned values, a driving theme of the meeting was around movement. The four leaders expressed their interest in building on the momentum that started with the President Donald Trump-Prime Minister Anthony Albanese bilateral summit in October. They also referenced President Trump’s comments at that meeting that the United States would go “full steam ahead” with AUKUS (which has since been backed by the Trump administration endorsement of AUKUS in its review of the trilateral effort).
This language continued in the Joint Statement, which covers a lot of ground. It nods at the need for “innovating how we deliver assistance” in the Indo-Pacific, following the end or transfer of USAID programs in the region. It also celebrates Australia’s second $1 billion investment in US submarine production and urges the rapid establishment of Submarine Rotational Force-West under AUKUS while endorsing a 2-year pathway for Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise. The leaders also created pathways for greater collaboration through establishing an Export Finance Australia presence in Washington and supported the respective export finance agencies from each country issuing letters of support for Tronox’s — a leading producer of titanium products — planned expansion of critical minerals and rare earths projects in Australia.
The real test will be whether this momentum can continue into 2026 and whether Australia can retain the attention of the Trump administration as they head into fraught midterm elections next November. However, if this year is anything to go by, Australians will continue to optimise the moments they get and continue to find stability in the alliance, in the midst of geopolitical change.
Mari Koeck
Director of Engagement and Impact
Lead photo: Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth deliver remarks during the 35th Australia-US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) at the State Department in Washington DC, on 8 December 2025 (photo by Brendan Smialowski for Getty Images).
"We wanted to do this here before the end of the year to continue to build on that alliance and to continue to build on that momentum that came from that meeting, and to work together on our shared priorities."
Recent content from us
REPORTAllies and partners poll 2025: Where the Quad countries stand on Trump, security and the future of the Indo-PacificConducted in August 2025, this year’s Allies and partners poll included more than 1,000 respondents from Australia, the United States, Japan and, for the first time, India, allowing for analysis across all four Quad countries. In this report Senior Research Associates Samuel Garrett and Ava Kalinauskas and Director of Research Jared Mondschein unpack the key foreign policy similarities and differences between these four countries. |
REPORTInto gear: Defence industrial and technology cooperation between Australia, Japan and the United StatesEarlier this year, the USSC hosted a trilateral Track 1.5 workshop with representatives from all three countries to assess their respective defence industry and technology cooperation. Following this, USSC Non-Resident Fellow Guy Boekenstein, Institute of Geoeconomics Research Associate Rintaro Inoue and Center for Strategic and International Studies Adjunct Fellow (Non-Resident) and Japan Chair Gregg Rubinstein shared their respective assessments of current trilateral defence industry and technology cooperation and what work is still needed in this report, edited by Research Fellow Tom Corben. |
EXPLAINERThe Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership: Past, present, futureIn this explainer, Research Associate Sahara Hoff breaks down the history of the CPTPP and what is next for the agreement after Australia hosted the ninth annual meeting in Melbourne. |
REPORTSydney International Strategy Forum 2025: Conference summaryAmid rising geopolitical uncertainty and a rapidly shifting Indo-Pacific, leading strategists at SISF 2025 assessed how allies can navigate disruption — examining US political change, regional security risks, and new opportunities in trade, technology and alliance cooperation. Research Intern Lillian Sturhan and Director of Research Jared Mondschein published analysis of the 2025 conference themes in this report. |
In the news
The Australian | How senior Australian figures saved AUKUS pact from 'existential threat'
The Australian reports that the Pentagon’s AUKUS review was dialled down from posing an “existential threat” to landmark security partnership because of the influence of senior US officials in the Trump administration and the efforts of leading Australians. USSC CEO Dr Michael Green was quoted in the article on the strong support for AUKUS amongst senior US officials, saying it was “clear the initial effort to call into question AUKUS has failed, and that it enjoys strong support up to the President.”
ABC | Under deadline, Donald Trump is remaking the White House in his own image
USSC Non-Resident Senior Fellow Bruce Wolpe spoke with ABC News about the key factors driving President Trump's White House renovations. He said it boils down to two things, "ego and legacy."
Upcoming events
PUBLIC FORUM
A look back on Year One of Trump 2.0
The last 10 months have seen the longest federal government shutdown in US history, the highest levels of US tariffs imposed in nearly a century, unprecedented actions by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a dramatic reshaping of federal government departments. Meanwhile, USSC polling ahead of the successful Albanese-Trump summit showed that Australians had negative views of President Trump but still didn't want to walk away from the Australia-US alliance. Additional USSC polling will be released ahead of this event.
After a historic year in US politics, Australia faces key questions about its most important ally.
- What have we learned from the year in US politics
- How has the second Trump administration measured up to expectations?
- Which of the administration's actions matter most for the future?
To answer these questions and to discuss the full results of the 2025 Allies and partners poll, join a panel of USSC experts: Chas Licciardello, co-host of “Planet America” on ABC TV, USSC lecturer in American Studies Dr Kathryn Robison and USSC Director of Research Jared Mondschein in conversation with USSC Director of Engagement and Impact Mari Koeck.
10 December 2025
6.00-8.00pmAuditorium, The Michael Spence Building (F23) at the Corner of Eastern Avenue and City Road, The University of Sydney NSW 2006
Cost: Free, but registration is essential
Manage your email preferences | Forward this email to a friend
United States Studies Centre
Institute Building (H03)
University of Sydney NSW 2006