Australia's US Ambassador Kevin Rudd to Step Down Early in 2026

Australia’s ambassador to the United States, former prime minister Kevin Rudd, will step down from his post in March 2026, about a year earlier than expected, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.

Albanese said the decision was made by Rudd and confirmed that he would return to New York to take up the role of global president of the Asia Society, where he will also lead its Centre for China Analysis. The Asia Society is a US-based policy institute focused on international affairs, including US-China relations.

Rudd was appointed Australia’s ambassador to the US in 2023 after serving twice as Australia’s prime minister. During his time in Washington, he worked closely with the Biden administration and members of the US Congress on defence and economic cooperation.

• Australia’s US ambassador Kevin Rudd to step down early in 2026, Albanese says
• Rudd will return to New York to lead the Asia Society and its China analysis centre
• Albanese says Australia-US alliance remains unchanged despite Rudd’s early exit

His tenure included efforts to secure bipartisan US support for the AUKUS security partnership, under which Australia plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines, as well as negotiations on critical minerals cooperation.

Albanese said Rudd had made a “substantial contribution” to the Australia-US relationship and stressed that the alliance between the two countries would remain unchanged. He added that the government would announce a successor in due course.

Rudd’s appointment drew attention because of comments he had made years earlier criticising Donald Trump, describing him as “the most destructive president in history.” Those remarks resurfaced after Trump returned to the White House, and Trump publicly said he was not a fan of Rudd during a meeting with Australian officials last year. Rudd later deleted the comments and continued in his role with the government’s backing.

Despite domestic criticism from opposition figures, Albanese repeatedly defended Rudd and said he had been effective in advancing Australia’s interests in Washington.

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A White House official thanked Rudd for his work and said the United States valued cooperation with Australia. Rudd said he would remain engaged in policy debates from his new position, particularly on China and regional security issues.