Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to Ukraine after joining a high-level meeting of the “Coalition of the Willing” convened by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.
The talks, held overnight and attended by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and leaders from Europe, Canada and Japan, focused on the next steps toward achieving “a just and enduring peace.”
Speaking to Sky News Australia on Monday, Mr Albanese said the meeting highlighted the united resolve among democratic nations.
“This is an illegal and immoral invasion of a sovereign nation. The Ukrainian people have shown courage and resilience in resisting a much more powerful neighbour.”
The Prime Minister emphasised that Russia must not be rewarded for its aggression, warning that Vladimir Putin’s ambitions extend beyond Ukraine.
On the question of whether Australia would send peacekeepers, Mr Albanese stressed the government’s position remained cautious.
“Not to fight — that has never been a suggestion,” he said.
“If there is a peace and if there is a global response to that in the form of peacekeeping, then we would consider any proposal at the time. That would be a matter for Cabinet.”
Mr Albanese added that any peace deal must include Ukraine at the negotiating table, saying, “They must not have a solution imposed on them.”
The Prime Minister will continue talks with leaders at an upcoming meeting in Washington, where President Zelenskyy will join his counterparts from France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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