Australia's ambassador to the U.S., Kevin Rudd, will step down in March and return to lead the Asia Society, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced. The move is a year earlier than planned and follows public controversy over comments Rudd made about Donald Trump before his appointment. Albanese praised Rudd for securing U.S. support for AUKUS and negotiating a critical minerals deal. Rudd said he will stay in the U.S. to work on U.S.-China relations.
Kevin Rudd To Leave U.S. Ambassador Post In March, Return To Lead Asia Society
Former Australian Prime Minister and ASPI President Kevin Rudd gives a speech during the 2017 Asia Game Changer Awards and Gala Dinner in Manhattan, New York, U.S. November 1, 2017. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
SYDNEY, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Australia's ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, will leave his Washington posting in March, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday. The departure comes a year earlier than planned and follows a period of public tension after critical remarks Rudd made about former U.S. President Donald Trump before his appointment.
Return To Asia Society
Albanese said Rudd, a former Australian prime minister, is stepping down to return to lead the Asia Society think tank. "Australia and the United States are the closest of friends and allies, and this will never change," Albanese said, noting Canberra would continue the "important work" Rudd had advanced.
Policy Achievements
Albanese credited Rudd with securing continued U.S. support for AUKUS, the nuclear-powered submarine programme that is Australia’s largest defence project, and with negotiating a critical minerals agreement with the United States—both significant outcomes for Australia's strategic and economic priorities.
Controversy Over Past Comments
Rudd had publicly criticised Donald Trump before taking up the ambassadorial role, at one point calling him "the most destructive president in history," a comment he later removed from social media after his appointment. During an October White House dinner when Albanese visited, Trump — asked about Rudd's past remarks — pointed across the table and said, "I don't like you either, and I probably never will." That exchange prompted opposition calls in Australia for Rudd to be removed, but Albanese said at the time Rudd would complete his four-year term.
Albanese told reporters on Tuesday that the decision to leave early was "entirely Kevin Rudd's decision," and that a replacement would be announced at a later date.
U.S. Reaction And Rudd's Next Focus
A White House official told Reuters, "Ambassador Rudd worked well with President Trump and the administration. We wish him well." Rudd posted on X that he will remain in the United States to work on "the future of U.S.-China relations, which I have always believed to be the core question for the future stability of our region and the world." He also noted he had recently hosted a dinner for Pentagon Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby, who led an AUKUS review last year.
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal and Kirsty Needham in Sydney and David Brunnstrom in Washington; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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