Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has yet to receive a phone call from US President Donald Trump after their meeting was cancelled at the G7 summit in Canada.
After the planned bilateral was abruptly cancelled so President Trump could address the Middle East conflict, he reached out to India and Mexico.
As of Saturday, Mr Albanese had not received a phone call from President Trump, even though he contacted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
There has been no indication that President Trump has contacted other cancelled counterparts, such as South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, or Mr Albanese.
The Albanese government has suggested there is no cause for concern, despite the highly visible diplomatic snub.
A meeting between the two leaders is still agreed to, according to senior government sources – and the question now is simply when, not if.
There is much cooperation defence space between the US and Australia and this meeting will happen, government sources believe.
While President Trump rushed home from the G7 due to tensions in the Middle East, his schedule back in Washington included a puzzling detour to meet an Italian soccer team.
President Trump met with players from Juventus FC, who were in the US for the Club World Cup.
He questioned Juventus FC players for their view on transgender athletes, asking, “Could a woman make your team, fellas?”
“We have a very good women’s team,” General manager Damien Comolli responded.
President Trump said: “You do, but they should be playing with women… He’s being very diplomatic.”
The brief and awkward exchange followed President Trump’s executive order from earlier this year banning transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ sports
Despite the absence of a face-to-face with the US President, Mr Albanese was still able to use the G7 summit to press the case on trade with members of the Trump administration.
Mr Albanese held two 20-minute meetings with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
The government reiterated its argument that tariffs on Australian goods make little economic sense, saying that only four per cent of exports go to the United States.
Meanwhile, beef exports to the US rose 91 per cent year-on-year from April to April – even as US tariffs took effect from early April.
One emerging theory among sources was that President Trump simply has little interest in multilateral forums.
Sources suggest he dislikes summits like the G7, where tensions with European and Asian allies are more likely to flare.
Given President Trump’s differences with many world leaders, there is a view that the meeting was almost like the G6 – plus the US.
Despite the cancelled meeting and lack of follow-up contact, officials remain hopeful a rescheduled Trump-Albanese meeting can still take place.
The UN General Assembly in New York in September has shaped up as the next likely opportunity.
