Australia announces further funding for Ukraine’s fight, passing $1b in total
By Rob Harris
Lviv: Australia will answer Ukraine’s global call to help the war-ravaged nation bolster its air defences against Russia’s barrage of missile and drone attacks with a new $100 million military aid package.
Defence Minister Richard Marles announced the assistance in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Saturday, becoming just the second federal government minister to visit the country since Vladimir Putin’s troops invaded in February 2022.
Defence Minister Richard Marles visits Ukrainian troops at a training facility near Lviv, near the Polish border on Saturday. Credit: Department of Defence
The boost, which also includes $30 million towards uncrewed aerial systems and $15 million towards high-priority equipment such as combat helmets, rigid-hull inflatable boats, boots, fire masks and generators, comes a week after the US Congress broke a months-long deadlock to send about $9 billion in military aid to Kyiv, and Britain pledged almost a further $1 billion.
Marles toured several secure military sites on a whistle-stop visit, including training facilities near Lviv, about 70 kilometres from the Polish border, before a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.
The additional assistance, which pushes Australia’s overall military and humanitarian aid beyond $1 billion, includes $50 million for short-range air defence systems. Marles also revealed for the first time that Australia had delivered air-to-ground precision munitions to Ukraine’s armed forces – they are now in use on the battlefield.
Ukraine’s air defence infrastructure has been under sustained assault from Russian forces which launched more than 9000 guided aerial bombs since the beginning of the year. Russia has also targeted energy facilities with missiles and drones, triggering weeks-long power outages in cities and towns.
Ukraine is desperately short of missiles.Credit: AP
Marles said the additional military assistance included world-leading drone technology with the support of Australian defence suppliers.
“Ukraine and its people have endured more than two years of Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion, but their spirit remains strong,” he said. “This was reaffirmed during my meeting with Prime Minister Shmyhal. Australia is proud to be working with our partners, including Poland, to support Ukraine’s self-defence.”
Marles, who also met his Polish counterpart, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, in Warsaw before crossing the border, announced last month that Australia would join the British and Latvian plan to provide thousands of drones to Ukraine, spurring on competition among Western nations to harness technology and drive down the equipment’s production cost.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles was in Gallipoli (pictured) on Anzac Day before going to Poland and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a warning earlier this month highlighting the looming possibility of his country running out of its air defence missiles due to Russia’s intense long-range bombing campaign. He has also admitted that Ukraine does not have enough ammunition for a counter-offensive against Russia but has started to receive some for defensive purposes.
Marles’ visit, the first by an Australian government member since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in July 2022, goes some way to addressing the growing criticism towards Australia’s level of support for Ukraine.
While more than $880 million has been sent to Kyiv, including armoured vehicles such as the Bushmaster, unmanned aerial systems and artillery ammunition, Australia’s contribution is just 0.041 per cent of GDP. In comparison, Denmark – which has an economy 25 per cent the size of Australia’s – has pledged $9.3 billion in military aid or nearly 2 per cent of its GDP.
Canada, with an economy 1.25 times larger than Australia, has pledged $6.1 billion or 0. 3 per cent of its GDP.
The Labor government has also faced internal criticism for Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s refusal to reopen Australia’s embassy in Kyiv more than two years since it closed at the start of the war. Sixty-seven of the 81 countries which temporarily closed their missions have since returned.
Michael Fullilove, the executive director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy, wrote in the Australian Financial Review at the weekend that research, to be released in June, revealed that three-quarters of Australians (76 per cent) would support reopening the embassy.
He said support also remained high for providing military aid to Ukraine (74 per cent), accepting Ukrainian refugees into Australia (80 per cent), and maintaining strict sanctions on Russia (86 per cent).
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