Albanese to join leaders for Ukraine peace phone call
Anthony Albanese will speak with world leaders on the possibility of providing Australian peacekeepers to Ukraine.
The prime minister accepted an invitation from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to join a phone call on Saturday night, Australian time, about peacekeeping efforts in a “coalition of the willing”.
As well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, leaders of France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Canada will also join.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The phone hook-up follows a summit of European leaders on Ukraine peace efforts earlier in March.
Mr Albanese said peace could be achieved in Ukraine immediately if Russian President Vladimir Putin called off his country’s invasion.
“In order to have a peacekeeping mission, you need to have a peace. So we look forward to there being peace in Ukraine, but we don’t have to think very hard about which side we’re on in this conflict,” he told reporters in Perth on Friday.
“This can end tomorrow. If Vladimir Putin ends this illegal and immoral invasion and goes back to his own borders, that’s what we firmly believe should happen.”
The war in Ukraine has been under way for more than three years following Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
While Russia backed a US proposal for a ceasefire, Mr Putin said more clarity was needed for the terms of the agreement.
It comes as US President Donald Trump clashed with Mr Zelensky during a meeting at the White House in February.
Mr Albanese said Australia was still in full support of Ukraine.
“I look forward to re engaging with President Zelensky, but with other democratic leaders as well,” the prime minister said.
“I won’t pre-empt what comes out of that meeting, but Australia has, of course, stood with Ukraine since the beginning of this process.”
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said any proposal to send Australian forces to Ukraine “did not make sense”.
“With troops on the ground in Ukraine, this was a thought bubble by the prime minister, it was a distraction,” he told reporters on the NSW Central Coast.
“Our job is to take care of our country and to make sure that we’re safe in our region. And to keep peace in our region, we’re going to have to invest in defence.”
