Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated Australia is “open to consideration” of contributing troops to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, marking a shift from the government’s previous position that such deployment was “not under consideration.”
ABC reported that Albanese said on 4 March:
“There’s a discussion at the moment about potential peacekeeping and from my government’s perspective, we’re open to consideration of any proposals going forward.”
The prime minister highlighted Australia’s historical role in peacekeeping missions, noting that Australian forces had previously served “in Africa, in Cyprus, in a range of peacekeeping areas.”
Australia has already contributed A$1.5 billion, with A$1.3 billion in direct military assistance, according to The Guardian.
“We want to see peace in Ukraine, but we want to make sure that the illegal, immoral actions of Russia are not rewarded, and that Vladimir Putin and his designs, which are imperialistic, are not rewarded or encouraged,” Albanese told reporters at a Sydney press conference.
The Australian prime minister’s comments come amid significant changes in US support for Ukraine, as Trump suspended US military aid for Ukraine after last week’s “Oval Office confrontation” between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Australian opposition skeptical about troop deployment
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has expressed skepticism about sending Australian troops to Ukraine as peacekeepers. While supporting continued military aid and training for Ukrainian forces, Dutton told reporters on Tuesday morning that European nations should take the lead in any peacekeeping mission, ABC reported.
“In terms of if we should have boots on the ground, in Ukraine, I don’t see that,” he said. “I think the Europeans have that task but what Donald Trump pointed out is the Europeans need to do more in the defence of Europe. And that is a statement of the obvious.”
While the Australian prime minister indicated openness to peacekeeping proposals, he emphasized that no concrete request had been made to Australia.
“We haven’t been asked for anything,” he said. “There are proposals being discussed. If a request is made, we would give consideration to it.”
Albanese also affirmed Australia’s independent foreign policy stance, noting:
“With regard to Australia’s foreign policy, Australia determines our foreign policy. It’s in Australia’s national interest to stand with Ukraine and that’s what our government is doing.”
Related:
- Trump suspends all military aid to Ukraine, pressuring Zelenskyy on peace talks
- Friedrich Merz claims Trump-Zelensky clash was “manufactured escalation”
- European powers shift stance on frozen Russian asset seizure
- Ukrainian parliament addresses Trump before he cuts off Ukraine aid
- Australian billionaires back Ukraine with $ 3.15 million aid package
- Russia’s war must be resolved on Ukrainian terms, Australia says
- Bloomberg: Europe seeks Australian gas to reduce Russian energy dependence
