Australia Pledges $60 Million More to Ukraine, Signs Security Pact

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced an additional $60 million in support for Ukraine during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The pledge is part of a new 10-year bilateral security agreement signed by both leaders.

The agreement allocates $45 million for Australian Defence Force equipment for Ukraine, $10 million for Ukraine's energy support fund, and $5 million for humanitarian assistance. This brings Australia's total contribution to Ukraine since Russia's invasion in 2022 to $1.9 billion.

Albanese described Zelenskyy's leadership as "quite extraordinary" and became emotional while paying tribute to his "friend" in his fight against Russian aggression. He emphasized the global implications of the conflict, stating that allowing a larger country to profit from an illegal invasion sets a dangerous precedent. "If a large, more powerful country in Russia is allowed to profit from breaking the international rules of law with its illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, then that sets a bad precedent for the entire world," Albanese said.

Zelenskyy, who hugged Albanese upon their meeting, called the agreement the "strongest document between our countries," anticipating increased co-production, trade, and security cooperation. He expressed Ukraine's gratitude for Australia's sustained support.

The security pact will remain in effect not only during the current conflict but also into peacetime. It includes provisions for Australia to assist with training Ukrainian forces to deter and repel future Russian attacks, explore cooperation on training centers, and jointly produce air-defense measures, missiles, and drones.

Australia will also collaborate with the United Kingdom and Norway on a coalition to support the development of Ukraine's navy and enhance its maritime capabilities. The two nations will also work together on rebuilding infrastructure, including military healthcare facilities and training centers.

Coinciding with the announcement of the security pact, Australia imposed additional sanctions on Russia, bringing the total number of sanctions against Russia and its supporters to over 1900.

The security agreement follows the news that the United States would invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit in Florida in December. Putin has not attended a G20 summit in person since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, often being represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Albanese stated he has no intention of interacting with Putin at the summit, reiterating that "Putin would not be welcome in Australia."