Australia to send NATO envoy to Paris-Ukraine talks, says Defence Minister Richard Marles
Australia is to send its military envoy to NATO to top level talks in Paris on Tuesday to discuss future assistance to Ukraine, Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed on Tuesday.
Air Vice-Marshal Di Turton will attend a meeting convened by French President Emmanuel Macron for military chiefs of staff whose nations are ready to offer Ukraine military support after any peace deal ending the war with Russia.
“We will be listening to what is being talked about in terms of the potential scenarios and planning for Ukraine,” Mr Marles told ABC Radio National Breakfast.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“Right now, that’s in a sense the request of us, is to participate in planning meetings and planning for eventual scenarios in Ukraine,” he added.
“We don’t as yet have a request for boots on the ground in respect of any peacekeeping operation, most obviously, because at this moment there’s not a peace to keep.”
Tuesday’s meeting will be held on the sidelines of the Paris Defence and Strategy Forum, organised by the defence academy of France’s famed Ecole Militaire military school.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese discussed Australia’s possible participation in a “coalition of the willing” to help monitor a possible future ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia during a phone call with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday night.
“Both of us, both of our nations are very clear about our support for Ukraine and it of course is too early. You can’t have peacekeeping forces without having peace,” he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday.
“Moving forward though, it is important that planning be put in place and Australia will participate in that meeting on Tuesday.”
The plan has been slammed by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton who opposes the idea of Australian troops being deployed to the European warzone when Australia has national security concerns on its own doorstep.
“It’s unbelievable that the Prime Minister’s talking about moving troops from Australia to station them, or to base them in Ukraine, when Italy, Germany, France has made no decision yet to base troops there,” he said on Sunday.
“The Prime Minister, instead of shooting from the hip, should make informed judgements on what’s in our country’s best interests.”
But Mr Marles accused the Opposition of seeking to politicise defence matters on the eve of an election.
“Frankly, I think this is an extraordinary position for the Leader of the Opposition to take,” he said. “All we are saying is that if a request comes, we’ll give it the due consideration that we’ve given every request in respect of assistance to Ukraine.”
