Joe Biden snub gives rise to questions over ANZUS alliance

Questions have emerged about US President Joe Biden’s failure to telephone Scott Morrison since the widely criticised withdrawal from Afghanistan.

US President Joe Biden on Sunday. Picture: AFP

Questions have emerged about US President Joe Biden’s failure to telephone Scott Morrison since the widely criticised withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The President has called the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Italy since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan a week ago, but has so far eschewed making a similar call to the leader of Australia, a key ally in the 2001 ­invasion.

But Mr Biden’s top diplomat in Australia, Michael Goldman, defended the strength of the US-Australian relationship on Monday and said the US remained Canberra’s most important economic and strategic ally.

Mr Biden phoned his counterpart in Spain, Pedro Sanchez, on Saturday, praising “Spain’s leadership in rallying international support for Afghan women and girls”.

One former Australian cabinet minister was surprised the President hadn’t yet called the Mr Morrison, describing it as “terrible”.

“We lost soldiers, we spent money, we were a loyal ally,” he said. Another former cabinet minister said it was “weird”.

In his third press conference since the withdrawal, Mr Biden said on Sunday (AEST) said the US would welcome all “Afghans who had helped us in the war effort over the last 20 years to their new home” in the US after the Pentagon revealed US commercial airlines had been enlisted to help the evacuation.

Australia joined the US-led coalition that invaded Afghanistan along with the UK, Canada and Italy, losing more than 40 soldiers.

The silence from the White House comes amid tension ­between the two countries over Australia’s request to the US for leftover Pfizer vaccines, which has so far been declined by the US, as it seeks to place vaccines with developing countries.

Mr Goldman, the charge d’affaires at the US embassy in Canberra, said the relationship was still a top priority for Washington.

“No two militaries are better ­integrated or more interoperable than the United States and Australia’s,” he said.

“Together, as democracies, we are working to address global challenges such as Covid and climate change.”

Despite Mr Biden promising to give Covid-19 vaccine doses to needy nations, the Health Department confirmed Australia had ­neither bought nor received any shots from the US, The Australian revealed on Monday.

The Morrison government was also attacked last week by US deputy envoy on climate change Jonathan Pershing over its emission reductions policies.