Advanced military co-operation could be the next stepping stone for Australia and the United States after a cordial meeting between the leaders of the two nations.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came out of the White House gathering unscathed after signing a critical minerals deal with US President Donald Trump, who in the past has had testy talks with some other visiting country leaders.

"He's a friend of Australia," Mr Albanese said of Mr Trump during an interview on Nine's Today show on Wednesday.

"It was a terrific meeting; it couldn't have gone better."

The meeting could lay the groundwork for the president to pull additional levers to accelerate Australia's acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, the first of which it plans to buy from the US early next decade.

Mr Trump gave

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