Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on his way home after meeting Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy on the sidelines of a NATO summit, promising Australia will donate another 30 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles to his forces.
The Bushmasters already provided by Australia “have been particularly helpful in saving lives in Ukraine,” Mr Albanese said he had been told by the Ukrainian president and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
Mr Albanese said the package builds on Australia’s previous commitment of 90 Bushmasters, taking the total number to 120.
Australia has provided more than $710 million in military aid, with overall support reaching a total of $890 million.
Mr Albanese said at the NATO meeting in Lithuania on Wednesday night that Australia remained steadfast in its commitment to support Ukraine.
“We are proud to provide additional Bushmaster vehicles to assist the brave men and women fighting for their home and their nation’s sovereignty,” he said.
“Russia unilaterally launched this illegal and immoral invasion and should withdraw its troops and end the conflict immediately.”
Mr Zelenskiy expressed his gratitude after meeting Mr Albanese.
“Thank you! A powerful new defence package, including 30 Bushmasters,” he wrote on the Telegram app.
Australia this week announced a further step in its support for Ukraine – the deployment of an RAAF E-7A Wedgetail aircraft to protect the flow of assistance.
Earlier, Mr Albanese told NATO leaders Australia’s partnership with the security alliance is crucial for global peace and prosperity.
The prime minister is in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius as part of a group of four Indo-Pacific nations sharing their concerns with European and other NATO partners about the global impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
NATO members invited Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea to provide insight into broader security challenges such as China’s military expansion.
After Mr Albanese’s meeting with Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary general told reporters China “is not our adversary”.
Chinese authorities said in a statement the nation opposed NATO’s “eastward movement into the Asia-Pacific region”.
“Any act that jeopardises China’s legitimate rights and interests will be met with a resolute response,” they said.
Mr Albanese also held separate talks with US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday.
© AAP 2023
