Putin’s plans ruled out of order

It’s a bit rich that while Vladimir Putin brazenly is seeking to destroy democratic Ukraine’s sovereignty in breach of every tenet of international law, his peeved Canberra embassy is contemplating recourse to legal action against the national capital’s planning authorities. The beef of the Kremlin despot’s kvetching representatives is over a decision by the National Capital Authority, a statutory planning agency, to strip Russia’s Australian embassy of a block of land it was awarded 14 years ago in Canberra’s prized diplomatic precinct on the doorstep of Parliament House. After being granted a lease on the block in 2008, Russia was given permission in 2011 to construct a new embassy to replace its current building in the suburb of Griffith. It agreed to complete the work in three years. But apart from one small building in a corner of the block, no work has been done on what is a premium diplomatic site, close to not only Parliament House but also the US, British, Canadian and South African embassies or high commissions. It is also near the Commonwealth Club, frequented by senior public servants. By invoking its “use it or lose it” principle, the NCA has acted prudently and in the national interest in response to Russia’s arrogant failure to fulfil its obligations under the lease.

No less relevant are indications that an even more compelling, though unstated, reason for Canberra authorities to reclaim the land was the Kremlin’s wish to bring in spies from Russia’s Federal Security Service (successor to Mr Putin’s former employer, the notorious KGB) to ensure the building of a modern embassy fully equipped to carry out espionage in the heart of Australia’s national capital. Rightly, the Department of Home Affairs declined to give permission for the contractors/spies to enter Australia. That may have contributed to work on the new Russian embassy being stalled. But whether it did or not, any decision to allow them in would have been as misguided as the way, under the Rudd-Gillard government, large numbers of Chinese contractors were allowed in to work on a residential complex for Chinese diplomats. The “no limits” alliance Mr Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping established when they met in Beijing last February puts them in the same bracket when it comes to behaving lawlessly in blatant contravention of a rules-based world order. Mr Putin’s entirely illegal assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty and monstrous attack on its people have, however, elevated him to a special place in the current rogues’ gallery of global felons. It is surprising that those who represent him in Australia have the temerity to even suggest they may appeal to our legal system over the loss of the leased block of land.

Whether they like it or not, those who represent Mr Putin’s odious regime are tarnished with the same brush as the despot who rules them. The NCA has acted properly in reclaiming the block from the Russian embassy. Doing so is in Australia’s national interest when Mr Putin is behaving so egregiously, both domestically and on the world stage. Having a new, up-to-date Russian spy station/embassy in the heart of Canberra would have had serious consequences for our own national interest and that of our allies. Tony Abbott was right when, addressing the Henry Jackson Society in London, he spoke of Mr Putin having Russia’s neighbours “living in fear” and an impoverished and diminished Ukraine stuck in an endless war while Western Europe is being held hostage by Moscow’s energy blackmail. Mr Abbott warned of the Russian despot’s potential to “escalate to de-escalate”, using nuclear or chemical weapons if he is pushed into a corner in Ukraine. That sums up the profound gravity of the menace to the world posed by Mr Putin’s flagrant lawlessness and contempt for civilised conduct. Those in Canberra who represent his rotten regime deserve short shrift if they really do intend to pursue redress from our legal system over the loss of the leased block of land. Legality and anything to do with the Putin regime is an oxymoron.