Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in Odesa, Ukraine, says US President Donald Trump needs to toughen stance on Putin

Trump must be tougher on his Russian counterpart after repeated failures to negotiate peace, says the former PM, speaking from Ukraine.

US President Donald Trump should take a tougher stance on his Russian counterpart after Vladimir Putin repeatedly failed to come to the peace negotiating table, says former Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Speaking to The Advertiser on the sidelines of the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa, Ukraine on Friday, Mr Morrison said Mr Putin had demonstrated he was “not someone who will deal in good faith”.

“He has given Putin every opportunity to come to the table and he has resisted that,” Mr Morrison said.

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaking at the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa on May 30. Picture: Natalie Vikhrov

Russia has been repeatedly accused of stalling peace talks, most recently by withholding a memorandum that sets out Moscow’s peace terms.

It comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week warned Russia had amassed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine’s Sumy region in preparation for a new offensive.

Asked if he was now expecting Mr Trump to take a tougher stance on the Russian leader, Mr Morrison said “that’s exactly what should occur”.

Mr Morrison said that could be done by beefing up Ukraine’s capability or imposing further economic sanctions against Russia, including through a bill recently put forward by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

It proposes a 500 per cent tariff on goods imported from countries that purchase Russian energy but the legislation would need to pass both houses and get the sign off from Mr Trump, who despite threatening to do so has been reluctant to sanction Russia.

Mr Morrison, who spoke on a panel discussing the global south and its response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, hosted by Australian-born journalist Andrew Mueller, said “we’re at a very challenging crossroads”.

The former PM with Foundation for Human Rights in Cuba director Hugo Acha (left) and Australian-born journalist and Monocle contributing editor Andrew Mueller. Picture: Natalie Vikhrov

“You can’t just fight this war forever, I mean, I can understand why you’d want to and because of what’s at stake, and I have no doubt that’s at the heart of every Ukrainian but when you’re looking further afield, how do you get to a peace where there’s security,” he said.

“I think we’re at this crossroads where Putin won’t come to the table, and the United States and President Trump has a difficult decision to make. How do you get him to the table?”

Mr Morrison, who has strong ties with the Trump administration, has defended the US President’s approach to peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, stating “it’s too early to judge the success of his approach”.

“He is a disruptor. That is his process. If you expect him to be conventional in engaging these issues, you’d be disappointed and frankly conventional responses haven’t been going that well.

“The fact that he brings a different approach, let’s judge it on its outcome.”

Originally published as Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in Odesa, Ukraine, says US President Donald Trump needs to toughen stance on Putin