PM’s hairy chested tub thumping on Ukraine an exercise in naked cynicism

The Albanese government was utterly clueless about Chinese warships conducting live fire drills in the Tasman Sea, so how can it even contemplate beginning to project Australian power in Ukraine, writes James Morrow.

Opinion
If you wanted proof of how divorced from reality discussion around Ukraine has become, look no further than Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s suggestion that he is “open” to considering a plan to send Australian troops to help keep the peace in Ukraine.

First of all, there’s simply no peace to keep in Ukraine.

Donald Trump has paused aid to Ukraine, and until Volodymyr Zelenskyy puts pen to paper on the ceasefire and minerals deal that he was so close to signing at the White House last week, the fighting will continue.

Sending Australian troops to Ukraine to preserve peace is futile when there is no peace. Picture: SAUL LOEB / AFP

Until there is some peace to enforce – and let’s have no doubt about it, it will be morally and strategically messy – Albanese’s offer is just a headline grab.

But that inconvenient fact is not even the half of it.

The truth is that even if there were a peace to keep, and assuming voters were OK with sending their boys and girls to what could easily become the first front line of World War III, Australia cannot even begin to contemplate projecting the sort of power that would make any sort of difference.

Remember, this is the same Albanese government that refused – because it was unable – to send a single warship to the Red Sea to help the Americans out in their battle to protect shipping against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

When a Chinese war ship started live fire exercises in the Tasman Sea, the Albanese government was all at sea.

And this is the same Albanese government that was caught on the back foot when a Chinese war ship commenced live fire exercises in the Tasman Sea, with Canberra finding out about the action sometime after the PNG government and a hapless Virgin flight crew.

The naked cynicism of this, going into an election, really deserves condemnation.

Europe is in the middle of a geostrategic crisis, and like a heap of other unpopular European leaders, Albanese is coming across all hairy chested about Trump and Ukraine to distract from his own falling ratings.

Originally published as PM’s hairy chested tub thumping on Ukraine an exercise in naked cynicism