The Australian government is open to sending personnel to support peacekeeping operations in future.
A day after the Russian embassy in Canberra issued a warning for Australia to stay out of the Ukraine conflict, the Department of Foreign Affairs has responded saying it will not be intimidated.
“Our message to Russia is: end your illegal invasion of Ukraine. We won’t be intimidated from working towards a just peace for the people of Ukraine,” the Department told The Epoch Times.
A spokesperson said Australia had a proud tradition of supporting peace, with 80 years of international peacekeeping missions.
“Australia has said that if we receive a request to support a peacekeeping mission, we’ll consider it,” the spokesperson noted.
The Russian embassy issued a statement warning Australia about making further contributions to the war effort in Ukraine—it has already sent over $1.5 billion worth of support including arms and equipment.
“To those inclined to construe the above as a threat: it is not. It is a warning. Russia has no intention to harm Australians,” the embassy said.
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“Canberra can easily avoid trouble by simply refraining from irresponsible adventurism in the zone of the Special Military Operation.”
In December, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 43,000 Ukrainians had died from the war since its inception in Feb. 24, 2022.
Albanese Open to Peacekeeping Mission in Ukraine
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said his government would consider sending personnel to support peacekeeping missions.
“I certainly have said, very clearly, publicly, repeatedly, that we would give consideration to participating in any peacekeeping mission in Ukraine,” Albanese told reporters on March 9.
“You can’t have peacekeeping forces without having peace. So moving forward, though, it is important that planning be put in place and Australia will participate in that meeting.”
The prime minister said his government would participate in the European “coalition of the willing” against Russian aggression.
Albanese said it was too early to make decisions about troops, but has sent a representative to discuss security strategies for Ukraine at a meeting of European defense chiefs.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton rejected the idea of Australian troops on the ground in Ukraine, saying, “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,” he told ABC News.
Dutton has previously called for further Australian military support to Ukraine, including equipment, supplies, and aid.
He, along with shadow ministers David Coleman and Andrew Hastie, criticised the Albanese government’s response as slow and insufficient.
