‘Still too unsafe’: Penny Wong rejects Coalition pressure to reopen Australian embassy in Ukraine

Penny Wong has rejected Coalition pressure to reopen the Australian embassy in Ukraine, saying it was still too unsafe despite more than 70 countries providing a presence in Kyiv.

Australia’s embassy in the war-torn capital closed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Shadow foreign minister Simon Birmingham pledged to reopen the posting if Coalition won the upcoming Federal election while meeting with local officials in Kyiv this week.

The Liberal frontbencher called on the Albanese Government to reinstate the embassy, saying Labor was making Australia an “international outlier” and the posting should be reopened “as soon as possible”.

Ms Wong said on Wednesday that current advice was it should remain closed for the safety of diplomats as the Ukraine-Russia war rages into its third year.

“I’d like to see an embassy open there,” the Foreign Affairs Minister, who is Acting Prime Minister while Anthony Albanese attends the Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ meeting in Tonga, said.

“We have always said we’ll open it when it’s safe to do so — and the advice to us has been, it hasn’t been safe to do so.

“I have to act on the advice of the department about their assessment (and) about what is safe for Australians to work there permanently.”

It comes amid further attacks and escalations this week, with a massive Russian air attack prompting power outages in Kyiv.

Mr Birmingham said the Australian Government was still paying rent for the building, which is also occupied by Canada’s locally based ambassador.

Australia’s ambassador Paul Lehmann — who previously served in Port Moresby, Nigeria and Afghanistan — is based in rented offices in Poland.

Officials have been working out of the neighbouring country since they were evacuated after the February 2022 invasion.

Numerous nations have returned their diplomats, including most EU states and even Australia’s neighbour Indonesia.

Ms Wong said while a presence wasn’t established in the capital, the Albanese’s support was “unstinting”.

“We engage with Ukraine at a diplomatic level,” Ms Wong said.

Australia’s ambassador Paul Lehmann — who previously served in Port Moresby, Nigeria and Afghanistan — is based in rented offices in Poland.

“I understand, you know, that... There are people who would like us to open it. That hasn’t stopped us in any way from continuing to provide support.

“But we are unstinting in our support for Ukraine. We now have provided, I think it’s about $1.3 billion worth of both military and non-military aid.

“I’ve made announcements in the last few months of additional humanitarian aid (and) provision for the energy fund.”