Albanese promises Zelensky new $100m aid package during Kyiv meeting

London: Anthony Albanese has pledged $100 million more to Ukraine’s war effort after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky face-to-face in a historic first trip by an Australian prime minister to the war-torn country, boosting Australia’s aid efforts higher than that of some European allies.

Albanese, completing a week-long trip to Europe to attend a NATO summit in Madrid, made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian leader at Kyiv’s Presidential Palace, announcing Australia would gift the nation 14 more armoured personnel carriers, 20 more Bushmaster vehicles and drones in a new assistance package.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.Credit: AP

The additional $100 million of military support brings Australia’s total spending to almost $390 million – more than any other non-NATO country and more than some 30 nations in that grouping.

On his way home to Australia after returning from Kyiv via a 12-hour train journey back to Poland, Albanese praised the Ukrainian leader’s “bravery and leadership emblematic of his people” in the face of Russia’s invasion.

Albanese and Zelensky discussed the Russian sea blockade of Ukrainian grain and its “devastating impact” on food supplies and global inflation, Albanese said in a statement released after the visit.

“President Zelensky is an inspirational leader who I was honoured to meet,” he said. “The Ukrainian people are demonstrating enormous courage and resilience in the face of brutal attacks.”

Standing beside Zelensky on Sunday evening AEST, Albanese said his visit to the once besieged capital was a demonstration of “the solidarity that exists” between the Australian and Ukrainian people.

Albanese told his counterpart that Australia would continue to support the government and the people of Ukraine for “as long as it takes” for it to emerge victorious in defence of its sovereignty and homeland.

Zelensky welcomed the assistance but declared: “It is never enough when you have such an adversary. Enough is when we have some kind of advantage, to push them out of our territory.”

Zelensky said he had suggested to Albanese that Australia “join the postwar rebuilding process of Ukraine”, which is set to cost trillions of dollars.

“I am grateful for [Australia’s] decision to join the process. It is important for us, it is important for the whole world,” he said.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese looks at apartment buildings and vehicles damaged by Russian shelling in Irpin.Credit: AP

Missing from the announcement was Ukraine’s request for more M777 howitzers, or superseded artillery pieces along with 155mm howitzer ammunition.

Albanese did not announce the reopening of the Australian embassy in Kyiv, as expected, instead he said he was waiting on additional security advice. Britain, the United States, France and Canada all reopened their much larger missions in April and May.

The visit, which was supposed to be top secret, was announced by the Ukrainian government and foreign media based in Kyiv. A 36-hour media blackout had been imposed on Australian reporters travelling with Albanese to Kyiv, while the remainder of the travelling pack were instructed by his office not to report the trip until he had reached Poland because of security concerns.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visits war-torn Irpin.Credit: AP

Following a two-hour meeting between the pair, Albanese announced the government would also provide further support to Ukraine’s border guard service to upgrade its border management equipment, improve cybersecurity and enhance field operations.

Tariffs will also be removed on all Ukrainian imports to Australia, while the government will support Ukraine’s International Court of Justice case against Russia.

Albanese said he would further impose targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on 16 additional Russian ministers and oligarchs, and ban imports of Russian gold to reduce Russia’s ability to fund its war, joining with partners including Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Albanese said the “amoral” invasion of Ukraine by Russia was unprovoked and was against international law and the UN charter.

He said he’d seen first-hand on his tour of Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel that residential buildings and homes had been the subject of brutal assault.

“Clearly, civilian areas have been targeted by the Russian forces as part of this illegal and amoral war,” he said.

Albanese said Australia would help to get Ukraine’s grain “out to the world”, declaring the Russian-led blockade on its ports as another attack on “the human rights of the world” and those historically fed on Ukrainian grain.

Sources familiar with the conversation said the pair discussed the November G20 summit in Indonesia, which could be attended by Putin, if only virtually.

The country’s President Joko Widodo has resisted suggestions by the US and other nations that they could boycott the event if the Russian president attends.

Zelensky, who was personally invited to attend the summit by Widodo on his recent trip to Kyiv, said he was “not sure there will be a great number of participants if [Russia] … decides to attend”.

He said he “cannot imagine myself arriving” at the Indonesian-hosted summit if the war with Russia was still continuing.

Albanese said that Australia would attend the summit, even if Putin did, because of Australia’s relationship with Indonesia.

But he said Australia supported “isolating Russia as much as possible, and my presence here is an indication of that”.

“If it is the case that Mr Putin attends that meeting, and I’m not sure whether he will or not, he will get the reception he deserves.”

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