Australia should reopen its embassy in Ukraine and establish a “one-stop shop” to ensure aid is managed effectively, a parliamentary inquiry has found.
With the Russian invasion lasting 1,000 days, a report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday recommends that the Foreign Office reopen the Australian embassy in kyiv, including an Australian military attaché.
The call has cross-party support, with the defense subcommittee including senior Labor MPs, in addition to coalition and cross-party parliamentarians.
Strengthen links
Defense subcommittee Chairman Brendan O’Connor said there is a “strong case” for reopening the embassy.
“A physical diplomatic presence would strengthen our bilateral ties with Ukraine and bring us in line with the other 70 countries that have reopened their embassies,” he said.
The inquiry found that Defence, alongside the Department of Foreign Affairs, should establish a dedicated “one-stop shop” to streamline Australia’s support for Ukraine and ensure its effectiveness.
More transparency needed
The Albanian government has been heavily criticized after decommissioned MRH-90 Taipan helicopters were dismantled and buried, rather than donated to Ukraine.
The report says the Department of Defense should also publish a summary of its decision-making processes to promote public trust.
Brendan O’Connor also said a “Ukrainian lens” should be applied to the decision-making process regarding the removal of equipment from military service.
Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, said military aid and support from the West, including Australia, had been vital in allowing kyiv to repel the Russian invasion.
“It’s been critical and vital for us to make sure we can defend ourselves,” he said.
He added that in Ukraine showed the impact of the war on security dynamics in the Indo-Pacific.
As such, any military aid to Ukraine is “an investment in deterrence, it is not charity,” he said.
Call for more Australian military equipment
Australia recently donated Abrams tanks that were to be replaced with a newer model, as military aid to Ukraine topped $1 billion since the Russian invasion began.
Vasyl Myroshnychenko hopes for their accelerated delivery before the European summer and calls on Australia to donate any other decommissioned equipment, particularly Tiger helicopters.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong voiced her support in a social media post marking “1,000 days of pain and tragedy (and) 1,000 days of courage and determination of Ukrainians in their fight for freedom.”
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the Ukrainian people had endured the war “with undeniable courage and unrivaled resilience”.
More than 2,400 children have been killed or injured since the start of the conflict, with UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell calling the toll on children “staggering and unacceptable.”
