Australia should reopen its embassy in Ukraine and establish a “one-stop shop” to ensure aid is managed efficiently, a parliamentary inquiry says.
As the Russian invasion reaches 1000 days, a report tabled in parliament on Tuesday recommends the Department of Foreign Affairs reopen the Australian embassy in Kiev, including an Australian military attache.
The call has cross-party support, with the Defense subcommittee comprising senior Labor MPs, as well as Coalition and crossbench MPs.
Strengthen bonds
Defense Subcommittee Chairman Brendan O’Connor said there were “strong reasons” for reopening the embassy.
“A physical diplomatic presence would strengthen our bilateral ties with Ukraine and align us with the 70 other nations that have reopened their embassies,” he said.
The inquiry found that Defence, together with the Department of Foreign Affairs, should establish a dedicated “one-stop shop” to streamline Australia’s support to Ukraine and ensure its efficiency.
We need more transparency
The Albanian government has been heavily criticized after disused MRH-90 Taipan helicopters were dismantled and buried, rather than donated to Ukraine.
The report said the Department of Defense should also publish a summary of its decision-making processes to foster trust among the public.
Brendan O’Connor also said that there is a need to apply a “Ukrainian lens” to decision-making regarding the withdrawal of equipment from military service.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko said military aid and support from the West, including Australia, was vital to Kiev’s ability to repel the Russian invasion.
“It was essential and vital for us to make sure we could defend ourselves,” he said.
He added it in Ukraine showed how the war affected the security dynamics of the Indo-Pacific.
Therefore, any military aid to Ukraine is “an investment in deterrence, it is not an act of charity,” he said.
Demand more Australian military equipment
Australia recently donated Abrams tanks that were due to be replaced by a newer model, with military aid to Ukraine topping $1 billion since the start of the Russian invasion.
Vasyl Myroshnychenko is hoping for a quick delivery before the European summer and is calling on Australia to donate further decommissioned equipment, particularly Tiger helicopters.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed her support in a social media post recalling “1000 days of pain and tragedy (and) 1000 days of courage and determination by Ukrainians in the fight for freedom.”
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the Ukrainian people had endured the war “with unequivocal courage and unrivaled resilience”.
More than 2,400 children have been killed or injured since the conflict began, and UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell described the child toll as “shocking and unacceptable”.
