Russian invasion of Ukraine: Send Zelensky our unused tanks

Members of Parliament applaud as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses the House of Representatives via a video link at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday. Picture: AAP

Volodymyr Zelensky deserved and got a standing ovation from a joint sitting of the Australian parliament as he beamed in live from an undisclosed location in Ukraine, a nation at war.

Scott Morrison described the Ukrainian President as a “lion of democracy” Anthony Albanese said the Australian parliament was honoured to host him. This was a powerful moment of bipartisan decency from our two leaders.

By honouring Zelensky, Morrison and Albanese honoured Australia.

Zelensky is a profile in courage. He has led his nation to magnificent resistance and his personal example transfixed the world.

President Zelensky asked for ADF Bushmasters, which were deemed a life saver in Afghanistan, notably in Tarin Kowt. Picture: Gary Ramage

The Ukrainian leader may lack Winston Churchill’s high oratorical skills – though it’s a bit hard to judge in translation – but he spoke straight from the heart and he spoke the truth.

Morrison went the distance and labelled Russian President Vladimir Putin “the war criminal of Moscow”. Zelensky explained why that judgment is right.

Putin, Zelensky argued, had reintroduced the worst horrors of the 20th century.

Putin had declared, Zelensky said, that he would invade a neighbouring nation, enslave it and destroy it. But this did not come out of the blue. The Ukrainian pointed out that Putin’s forces have been committing atrocities for years and have never been held to account. It was forces loyal to Putin which shot down MH17 and led to the deaths of 298 innocent civilians, including 38 Australians.

Have these men been held to account? No, they live in security in Russia, given shelter by Putin’s regime.

Zelensky rightly linked Ukraine’s security to Australia’s security. The sanctions and boycott of Russia should be comprehensive, he persuasively argued. If you buy oil or gas from Russia you are financing the destruction of Western security.

He also asked for more Australian aid and he will get that. Morrison announced $25m more in support for the Ukrainians.

One suggestion of Zelensky’s was particularly sensible: Why don’t you give some of your armoured vehicles to Ukraine? They will do more good for Western security in Ukraine than they will sitting in your parks, he said.

An M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank live fires during an exercise in 2019.

He mentioned Bushmaster vehicles specifically but he should aim higher and go for Australia’s tanks. We haven’t deployed a tank into a contested military area anywhere in the world since the Vietnam War, more than 50 years ago, and we are unlikely ever to deploy them in the future. Yet we hang onto them, combination curios, museum pieces, vanity projects.

Here’s a chance to deploy them after all. Aussie tanks for Ukraine. It has a certain ring to it, don’t you think?