Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine will leave Russia exponentially weaker

Vladimir Putin spurned every good-faith effort by the US, NATO, the EU and the wider international community to address his purported security concerns. Picture: AFP

I’ve seen a lot in my 22 years as a diplomat, from uprising and violence in Uzbekistan to the catastrophic earthquake that devastated Nepal in 2015, and I have never seen such a blatant violation of international order than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

But I’ve never seen such a united response, either. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions have drawn condemnation from all corners of Australian society and across the political spectrum, just as they have in Europe and beyond.

This week I had the honour to stand side by side with my counterpart from Ukraine’s embassy in Canberra, Volodymyr Shalkivskyi, in a public demonstration of support.

We discussed how Ukraine’s courageous response to Putin’s invasion has inspired freedom-loving people around the world. And we talked about the actions the US, Australia, friends, allies and partners across the globe are taking to hold Russia accountable for its brutal attack on the Ukrainian people.

On Thursday, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; tellingly, other than Russia and Belarus, the only countries that opposed the motion were North Korea, Syria, and Eritrea.

A Ukrainian man stands in the rubble in Zhytomyr after a Russian bombing. Picture: AFP

The US and Australia have been in lockstep from the beginning. In US Secretary of State Tony Blinken’s meetings with Foreign Minister Marise Payne last month, and in my meetings with Australian counterparts since, we have noted with increasing concern Putin’s planning for this attack.

Even as more than 150,000 Russian troops and military equipment massed along Ukraine’s border, Putin spurned every good-faith effort by the US, NATO, the EU and the wider international community to address his purported security concerns and to avoid needless conflict and human suffering.

As we all now know, Putin was never interested in diplomacy. He executed his playbook exactly as we warned he would. We saw increased shelling in the Donbas. We saw the launch of Russian cyber-operations against Ukraine. We heard outlandish and false claims of “genocide” and “nazification” – claims that insult Russia and Ukraine’s history.

Michael Goldman

The US and Australia have committed $350m ($481m) and $50m, respectively, to support the defence of Ukraine. The US and Australia are also committed to providing humanitarian assistance. We were pleased to see the Prime Minister’s announcement that Australia will offer an initial $US25m to provide food, water, and medical care. Over the past year, the US has provided over $US106m in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including an additional $US54m announced this weekend. And both our countries are united in opening our doors to Ukrainian civilians fleeing the violence.

Australia and the US understand that we must also hold Russia accountable for its actions. Together with our allies and partners – in Europe and beyond — we have taken action against Russia’s financial institutions, imposed stringent technology export controls, and implemented tough, targeted sanctions.

These actions are designed both to impose immediate costs and to disrupt future economic activity. They are already having a profound impact on Russia’s economy, financial system, and access to cutting-edge technology. They are isolating Russia from international finance and commerce and degrading the Kremlin’s ability to project power.

This will not end well for Putin. When the history of this era is written, it will show that Putin’s choice to launch an unprovoked, unjust, and premeditated attack left the US, Australia, NATO, allies and partners more unified. And it will have left Russia exponentially weaker, morally bereft, economically weak, and exposed as a Potemkin power.

As US President Joe Biden said: “In the battle between democracy and autocracies, democracies are rising to the moment and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security.”

Australia is rising to the moment. Together, we will continue to draw inspiration from the iron will of the Ukrainian people. Together, and with friends throughout the world, we stand with Ukraine.

Michael Goldman is the Charge d’Affaires at the US embassy in Canberra