A Coalition government will work with international partners to safely reopen Australia’s embassy to Ukraine in Kyiv if elected.
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Birmingham, announced the commitment to re-open Australia’s embassy during a visit to Kyiv where he reinforced the Coalition’s strong and continuing support for Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia.
“The Albanese Labor Government has kept Australia’s embassy in Kyiv shut, despite many other nations long ago putting in place security measures enabling their return, including the Canadians who Australia rents our embassy space from,” Senator Birmingham said.
“From Ireland to Indonesia, about 70 countries have reopened a physical presence in Kyiv, in a strong and unwavering show of support for Ukraine.
“These countries know that by having their diplomats on the ground in Kyiv, they have access to the best possible intelligence and information which is vital in informing their defence and humanitarian support for Ukraine.
“The Albanese Government’s stubborn refusal to reopen Australia’s embassy has left us an international outlier and raised further questions about Australia’s reliability and dependability as an international partner.
“It’s little wonder that without this on the ground information and advice, that the Albanese Government has made so many bad decisions on Ukraine, like burying instead of gifting decommissioned helicopters and not sending Australian coal when it was repeatedly requested and urgently needed.
“Labor’s stubbornness on this issue has come at the same time as Australia has slipped from being the leading non-NATO contributor to Ukraine’s defence and humanitarian needs under the former Coalition Government, to now being overtaken by Japan and Korea.
“Reopening Australia’s embassy would send a strong and positive message of support for Ukraine while removing an obvious irritant in the relationship between our two nations.”
Senator Birmingham said Australian governments had managed in the past to keep our officials safe in dangerous conflicts, such as in Baghdad and Kabul.
“It should not be beyond the Albanese government’s capability to work with all of the international partners who’ve already led the way by re-establishing diplomatic missions in Kyiv to create the safest possible environment for our diplomats,” Senator Birmingham said.
“Australian taxpayers are still paying rent to Canada for our shared embassy in Kyiv, whilst at the same time also paying office and housing accommodation for our Ambassador in Poland.”
Senator Birmingham said his visit to Kyiv provided an important opportunity to meet with Ukrainian Government ministers and parliamentarians, observe humanitarian work supported by World Vision in Australia and witness first-hand how Ukraine is operating through this war, which is now tragically in its third year.
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