No one should take any comfort from the recent engagement that Defence Minister Richard Marles had with newly appointed Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth in Washington last week. Instead, we should prepare for the obvious demand Donald Trump will make of Australia and other allies to increase their defence spending to 3 per cent of gross domestic product.

And we should be embarrassed that it’s taking almost gangster-like pressure for us and other nations to spend the minimum sensible to provide for our security in the world we live in now.