Ukrainian MP Yulia Klymenko urges Australia to reopen embassy and rally support for long-range strikes

A prominent member of the Ukrainian parliament has urged Australia to help convince its NATO and AUKUS partners to let Ukraine use long-range missiles in Russia.

Yulia Klymenko, who heads one of the Ukrainian Parliament’s committees, told The Nightly that Australia should immediately reopen the embassy in Kyiv.

“I do believe that Australia can play an important strong role in advocating long-range strikes inside Russian land which target Russian military bases and targets,” Ms Klymenko said.

“It’s about sending a message to Russia that the world will not stand aside while they commit atrocities, violate international law and destroy global order.

“Ukraine cannot fight the beast with tight hands and blindfolded.”

The Nightly asked Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles if the Government also backed Ukraine’s plea.

“Australia supports Ukraine’s right to defend itself against Russian aggression, consistent with international law,” a defence spokesman said.

“We have provided over $1.1 billion of military assistance to help Ukraine secure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace.

The debate was triggered following the Opposition’s foreign spokesman Simon Birmingham’s visit to Kyiv last week.

After visiting sites where war crimes were committed, including Bucha near the Ukrainian capital, he vowed the Coalition would reopen the embassy and in an exclusive interview urged the Biden Administration to let Kyiv defend itself properly by attacking targets inside Russia, using Western missiles.

Ms Klymenko said Australia should reopen the embassy, which was closed in the immediate days after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022.

But within months all of Australia’s allies returned, including Canada, with whom Australia shared embassy space and continues to split the cost of the rent.

“Absolutely, I would like to see the Australian embassy in Kyiv reopened without further delay,” Ms Klymenko said.

“The presence of the embassy is very symbolic, it represents Australia’s commitment to Ukraine in wartime.

“Embassies of US, Britain, Canada and others have been operating for the past two years after a small break during Kyiv Oblast’s occupation.

“They are actively supporting Ukraine.

“Reopening the embassy would strengthen our diplomatic and human ties.

“It would be a clear statement that Australia stands with Ukraine in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression.

Kateryna Argyrou, co-Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, said Australia could support bringing the war to a speedier end.

“Ukrainian civilians are being pounded every day, as they go to school and work, by horrific missile attacks on their cities and towns,” Ms Argyrou said.

“It is morally unacceptable that Ukrainians are not allowed to strike back at those bases from where these missiles are launched.

“Australia needs to support an action which could bring these attacks to an end.”

She said the continued closure of the embassy undermined the support the Australian government was providing, which is supported by an overwhelming majority of voters, according to the most recent polling.

In April, Mr Marles became the second-only Australian Cabinet minister to visit Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion in February 2022.

During that visit, Mr Marles visited Lviv on the western border instead of the capital and declared: “Australia remains committed to supporting Ukraine to resolve the conflict on its terms.”

But Matthew Sussex, an associate professor and visiting fellow, at ANU’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, said the rhetoric about supporting Ukraine to defend itself had been proved hollow.

“By refusing to allow Ukraine to prevent strikes launched at them with impunity from Russian territory, the argument that we are enabling Ukraine to defend itself rings hollow,” he said.

“Under the current restrictions, Russian missile forces have more protections than Ukrainian civilians.”

The Lowy Institute’s annual poll measuring the mood of Australians on foreign affairs found 86 per cent supporting sanctions on Russia, 80 per cent supported accepting Ukrainian refugees and three-quarters supported sending military aid to Kyiv as well as reopening our embassy there.

Western leaders, including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have all so far refused to give Kyiv the green light to use long-range missiles.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stressed his friendship with the trio of leaders who lead centre-left parties.

This week Russia killed more than 50 Ukrainians and injured 270 more when it fired two ballistic missiles at a military training facility and nearby hospital in Poltava.

“Russian strikes will be impossible if it is possible for us to destroy the occupier’s launchers where they are,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly video address in response to the attack.

“Providing Ukraine with such permissions and such weapons is definitely the biggest step towards a real, just end to this war.”