Australia has imposed sanctions on hundreds of Russian individuals and entities while signing a security agreement with Ukraine that will allow the sharing of “battle-tested expertise” with Australian soldiers and weapons manufacturers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed the pact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The agreement was accompanied by an additional $60 million in support for Ukraine’s war effort, taking Australia’s total aid to just under $1.9 billion.
Mr Albanese praised Ukraine’s bravery and said the conflict had implications far beyond Europe.
“This is an issue not just for Europe,” he said. “This is an issue for the world, because if a large, more powerful country in Russia is allowed to profit from breaking the international rules of law with its illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, then that sets a bad precedent for the entire world.”
The Australian leader also announced that his country would step up multinational efforts to help develop Ukraine’s navy.
“So Australia proudly stands with Ukraine,” Mr Albanese said. “We made that commitment at the very beginning of this conflict, and we have not wavered, and we will not waver.”
He said he hoped the agreement would remain in place beyond the war, as Ukraine developed as a peaceful nation and expanded trade and relations with Australia.
Mr Zelenskyy thanked Mr Albanese and the Australian people for having “always been on the side of Ukraine”, saying the agreement elevated the relationship between the two countries.
Australia’s Russia sanctions
The latest measures bring the total number of Australian sanctions against Russian individuals and entities to almost 1,900. Australia’s support for Ukraine and its sanctions have led to the country being placed on the Kremlin’s list of “unfriendly countries”.
Speaking to reporters later, Mr Albanese condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “reprehensible” actions, saying they had caused enormous damage to the people of Ukraine and undermined respect for international law.
He said he had “made Australia’s view very clear” to Russian officials.
