Australia signals readiness for peacekeeping mission in Ukraine - Australian PM

"Tonight, I joined a Coalition of the Willing virtual meeting hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, along with President Zelenskyy and leaders from Europe, Canada, and New Zealand. I reiterated Australia's strong and steadfast support for Ukraine and restated that Australia will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," said the Australian Prime Minister.

Albanese noted that the leaders agreed to continue working on specific actions to support Ukraine both now and in the future.

Australia, for its part, stands with our country, and as the Prime Minister stated, the support will continue for as long as needed.

"It is the right thing to do, and it is in Australia's national interest. Because what happens in the Euro-Atlantic has serious implications for our region - the Indo-Pacific - and vice versa. This is a struggle not just for the people of Ukraine but also for their national sovereignty. This is a struggle for the international rule of law," emphasized Albanese.

He pointed out that the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin has imperialistic ambitions regarding Ukraine and other countries. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that Russia's illegal and immoral actions are not rewarded in any peace process.

The Australian Prime Minister focused on an important point. The statement emphasized that Australia supports all meaningful steps toward a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and broader security in Europe. However, pressure must be exerted on Russia to act in good faith to achieve this.

"Australia is always open to considering any new proposals to support Ukraine - which we do so based on our capacity and comparative strengths.," the statement read.

The country has committed to providing $1.5 billion in aid to Ukraine’s defense, including $1.3 billion for military support, the supply of crucial equipment, and training for Ukrainian soldiers.

"Australia is open to considering any requests to contribute to a future peacekeeping effort in support of the just and lasting peace we all war for Ukraine. We have a proud tradition of supporting peace through eighty years of contributions to international peacekeeping missions. Of course, peacekeeping missions by definition require a precondition of peace," concluded Albanese.

As a reminder, about a week ago, Russia threatened the Australian government over plans to send peacekeepers to Ukraine potentially. Specifically, the Russian Embassy in Australia warned that the country's joining the peacekeeping coalition would lead to serious consequences.