Australia offers cyber security aid to Ukraine

Australia will provide Ukrainian forces with emergency cybersecurity training, as Scott Morrison vowed to help punish Vladimir Putin if an ‘unprovoked’ ­invasion erupts.

Children from the Ukrainian community in Sydney attend St Andrews Church in Lidcombe. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Australia will provide Ukrainian forces with emergency cybersecurity training to ward off attacks from Russia, as Scott Morrison vowed to work with international partners to punish Vladimir Putin if there was an “unprovoked” ­invasion.

The Australian understands government officials will step up cyber security engagement with Ukraine and provide advice on how the under-siege nation can ward off hacks from Moscow.

The training sessions will be held virtually between Australian and Ukrainian cyber officials, after Kyiv accused Russia of hacking its banks and government departments.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne will on Monday hold a face-to-face meeting in Munich with Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, with US President Joe Biden warning an ­invasion is likely in the coming week.

On Sunday night, Senator Payne confirmed in a statement that Australia would increase its cyber engagement with Ukraine.

Marise Payne. Picture: Getty Images

“Australia will continue providing cyber security assistance to the Ukrainian government, including through a new bilateral Cyber Policy Dialogue and further cyber security training for Ukrainian officials,” Senator Payne said. “Australia is committed to upholding the rules-based order online, just as we do offline, and supporting our partners in the face of cyber threats.”

Earlier on Sunday, the Prime Minister said Australia was ready to provide assistance to Ukraine but ruled out deploying troops if there was a military conflict.

“There are many ways we work with both our partners and our allies and can work directly to support Ukraine in the work they’re doing,” Mr Morrison said.

“Whether it be in the cyberspace area or things of that nature, the planning and various other ­elements, working with our partners and allies.

“These are rather conventional ways where we do provide assistance, in areas that don’t ­require deployment of troops on the ground.”

With Russian troops amassing on the Ukrainian border, Mr Morrison accused Moscow of ­imposing “threats of terrible ­violence”.

Mr Morrison said Ukraine should be free to join the Western-backed North Atlantic Treaty Organisation without fearing provocation from Russia.

“This is not a any legitimate action,” Mr Morrison said.

“Ukraine is a country that wants to make its own decisions, who wants to join NATO – that’s up to them. It’s not up to other countries to seek to bully them out of the decisions that they want to make as sovereign countries, and they cannot use threats of violence to intimidate countries in this way.”

Defence Minister Peter Dutton said “war looks inevitable” between Ukraine and Russia.

“That would be a tragic outcome for the Ukrainians, for people in the region,” Mr Dutton told Seven Network.

“But also economically, on gas prices, on fuel prices.”

Mr Dutton claimed there was “co-ordination” between Russia and China on a potential invasion.

“The Chinese wouldn’t have wanted Russia going into the Ukraine during the course of the Winter Olympics, so that conversation clearly has taken place,” Mr Dutton said.

“There are many countries, European countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, many others around the world who have called for peace and for calm and for President Putin to negotiate and to not continue on this act of war.

“China was really the major country, probably the biggest country that could have the most influence on Russia. They didn’t call Russia out. In fact quite the opposite, they support their claim to going into the Ukraine.”

Mr Biden said he expected Russia was planning to invade Ukraine in the coming week, saying Moscow-backed fighters had become increasingly violent.

“We believe that they will target Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, a city of 2.8 million innocent people,” Mr Biden said. “Russian troops currently have Ukraine surrounded – from Belarus, along the Russian border with Ukraine, to the Black Sea in the south – and all of its border.

“Over the last few days, we’ve seen reports of a major uptick in violations of the ceasefire by ­Russian-backed fighters attempting to provoke Ukraine in the Donbas. For example, a shelling of a Ukrainian kindergarten yesterday, which Russia has falsely asserted was carried out by Ukraine.”

Mr Biden said the US would not send in troops if there was an invasion but would “continue to support the Ukrainian people”.

“The West is united and resolved. We’re ready to impose ­severe sanctions on Russia if it further invades Ukraine,” he said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson predicted a “generation of bloodshed and misery” if an invasion eventuated.

Thousands of Ukrainians rallied across the nation’s capital cities on Sunday to call for international unity against Russian military aggression.

Marches were held across five capital cities on Sunday afternoon, including Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

At a ceremony in western Sydney, up to 350 Ukrainians and supporters gathered on the steps of St Andrews Church in Lidcombe to hear speeches from Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, Labor frontbencher Tony Burke and Labor MP Jason Clare, before a service was held inside to pay tribute to “fellow patriots whose lives remain at risk at home”.

Additional reporting: Nicholas Jensen