Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged more than A$100 million (US$69 million) in fresh military aid for Ukraine, after visiting the sites of some of the most infamous atrocities of Russia’s war during the final leg of a European tour.
Albanese visited Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin, three towns in the Kyiv region that became synonymous with the brutality of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion when evidence of mass killings and torture was uncovered after the withdrawal of Russian forces.
Kyiv Oblast Governor Oleksii Kuleba announced the visit on Facebook, saying Albanese had been shocked at what he saw, including bombed-out homes, traces of mines and a destroyed airport.
Photographs posted on Facebook showed Albanese and others walking past a residential building with bombed-out windows and standing in what appeared to be a ruined aircraft hangar.
Speaking later at a news conference in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Albanese said Australia would give Ukraine 14 more armored personnel carriers and 20 Bushmaster vehicles.
He also announced a ban on Russian gold imports, as well as sanctions and travel bans on 16 more Russian ministers and oligarchs, bringing the total number of Russian individuals sanctioned by Australia to 843.
Albanese called Russia’s invasion a “gross violation of international law.”
“I saw firsthand the devastation and trauma it has inflicted on the people of Ukraine,” Albanese said in a statement following his visit. “My visit to Kyiv and recent visits by other world leaders sends a clear message that democratic nations like Australia will stand side-by-side with the Ukrainian people in their time of need.”
Albanese pledged A$99.5 million in military assistance and A$8.7 million to help Ukraine upgrade border management equipment, cybersecurity and border operations in the field.
Australia also intends to intervene at the International Court of Justice in support of Ukraine in its case against Russia.
Albanese tacked on a day visit to Ukraine at the end of his European trip for a NATO summit. The Australian government had kept the trip under tight wraps for security purposes, with only a small pool of journalists allowed to travel with him to Ukraine and a blackout imposed on Australian media until he had left the nation.
However, international media and Ukrainian officials reported details of the trip earlier, before Albanese’s office released a statement at about 6.30am yesterday.
Albanese said the new contributions brought Australia’s total military assistance to Ukraine to about A$388 million.
Zelenskiy said Australia was giving Ukraine “considerable aid, in particular defense support” and that Ukrainian forces “highly valued” the Bushmaster vehicle.
The trip came days after Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles said the nation was looking at new ways of supporting Ukraine.
Canberra had already pledged A$285 million of assistance to Kyiv, including Bushmaster armored vehicles, M777 howitzers, ammunition and anti-armor weapons. The first four of 14 promised M113AS4 armored personnel carriers were dispatched to Ukraine last month.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko had called for more Bushmasters, but also praised Australia’s support.
“Australia is punching above its weight,” he told Sky News last week. “There is a tradition of Australia standing up to bullying behavior and Prime Minister Albanese understands it really well.”
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