Russia has issued a blunt warning to Australia after Anthony Albanese announced he was considering joining the ‘coalition of the willing’ by sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. The Prime Minister spoke to UK leader Sir Keir Starmer on Saturday, where he ssaid he would ‘consider contributing to a coalition of the willing for Ukraine’, according to a statement from Downing Street .
Mr Albanese confirmed that on Sunday, saying ‘both of our nations are very clear about our support for Ukraine… you can’t have peacekeeping forces without having peace’. ‘I certainly have said, very clearly, publicly, repeatedly, that we would give consideration to participating in any peacekeeping mission in the Ukraine,’ he added.
However, it was that ‘very clear’ support for Ukraine that made Australia an unfit candidate to provide peacekeeping troops in the eyes of Russia. Moscow has warned that any push by any pro-Ukraine countries to join ‘the so-called coalition of the willing would entail grave consequences’.
‘Once again, Western boots on the ground are unacceptable for Russia, and we will not remain passive observers,’ a statement from the Russian Embassy said. ‘To those inclined to construe the above as a threat: it is not. It is a warning.
‘Russia has no intention to harm Australians, and Canberra can easily avoid trouble by simply refraining from irresponsible adventurism in the zone of the Special Military Operation.’ The stern statement added said that the presence of military from NATO members and western countries within a likely peacekeeping zone in eastern Ukraine was ‘totally unacceptable’.
‘The idea of deploying western military contingents in Ukraine under the guise of peacekeepers is meant to undermine peace efforts,’ it said. ‘Canberra remains firmly on the side of war, along with those in Europe who are betting on continuing and escalating the conflict despite encouraging shifts towards peace negotiations.’
But the Albanese Government has refused to be cowed, with a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong telling the Sydney Morning Herald that ‘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.’
However Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has opposed the idea of sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine. ‘It’s unbelievable that the prime minister is talking about moving troops from Australia to station them or to base them in Ukraine, when Italy, Germany, France, have made no decision yet to base troops there,’ Mr Dutton said on Sunday.
‘There’s no peace to keep.’ ‘The Prime Minister, instead of shooting from the hip, should make informed judgments on what’s in our country’s best interests. ‘My judgment is that to base troops in Europe at the moment is the wrong decision for our country.’
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