In a virtual speech to lawmakers and senators in Canberra, the Ukrainian president called on Australia to send Bushmaster armored vehicles to help in the fight against Russia, saying “they will do much more for our common freedom and security than to stay. parked on your land “. “You have very well-armored personal vehicles, Bushmasters, that could really help Ukraine and other pieces of equipment that could strengthen our position in terms of equipment,” Zelensky said. Zelensky accused Vladimir Putin of “nuclear blackmail” and said an uncontrolled Russia was a “threat” to the world, suggesting that its actions could inspire other nations to follow suit, in a subtle covert warning to the public. to which he was addressing. “The distance between our countries is great, it is thousands of kilometers; but there is no such thing as the distance for the barbarity and chaos that Russia has brought to the east of Ukraine,” Zelensky said. “Everything that is happening in our region because of Russian aggression has become a real threat to your country and your people as well,” he said. “This is the nature of evil. It can immediately cross any distance, any obstacle, destroy lives “. Zelensky, dressed in his most signed black T-shirt, spoke via video interpreter at a packed House of Representatives on Thursday night. He called on Russia to pay the “highest price” and for its allies to impose even tougher sanctions, such as blocking Russian ships from foreign ports and boycotting the country’s oil. Ahead of Zelensky’s speech, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Putin a “Moscow war criminal” and strongly condemned the Russian president so far. Morrison also announced an additional $ 25 million in military aid to Ukraine, including unmanned aerial and ground-based systems, food and medical supplies. The commitment raises Australia ‘s military contribution to Ukraine to $ 116 million. Earlier on Thursday, the Australian government pledged to limit all imports from Russia and Belarus with additional tariffs of 35%. In a statement, Morrison called for a “brutal, relentless and illegal Russian invasion” of Ukraine and said the government “will continue to look for opportunities for further military assistance”. Morrison praised Zelensky as the “lion of democracy.” Australian Labor opposition leader Anthony Albanese has criticized Putin for “aggression in the name of a poisonous, nationalist lie”. “You are showing us what true courage is,” Albanese said, speaking directly to Zelensky. The Ukrainian president warned that other nations could follow Russia’s example in attacking their “neighbors” unless the world rises now – in a clear reference to China, which has so far resisted adopting a stronger line to discourages Putin’s aggression. “The worst pages of the 20th century are already behind Russia,” Zelensky said. “The greatest threats of that century are back, the evil that humanity thought it had long forgotten. “But the worst thing is, if we do not stop Russia now, if we do not hold Russia accountable, then some other countries in the world that are looking forward to a similar war against their neighbors will decide that such things are possible. for them.” The president also spoke with confidence and optimism about the future of his country. “We know that our dream is invincible and indestructible, especially if we can count on the support of the free world, on your support, on your help,” he said. “We need it not just in a few months, we need it urgently now.” Zelensky said that the people of Ukraine “are already thinking about the future, how we will live after the war and the reconstruction of our country.” Australia has provided $ 156 million in support to Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion in February, including $ 91 million in “lethal and non-lethal military aid,” as confirmed in Tuesday’s budget documents. Australia also plans to offer Ukrainians fleeing the conflict a three-year temporary humanitarian visa. It has also joined a number of countries imposing sanctions on Russia. On Thursday, Morrison said the Australian government “is taking further steps to increase financial costs for Russia following its illegal invasion of Ukraine, with the support of Belarus, imposing an additional 35% tariff on all imports from Russia and Belarus “. Australia does not have much trade relations with Russia. In 2019-2020, Australia imported $ 250 million in goods from Russia, including fertilizers ($ 71 million) and crude oil ($ 59 million). By contrast, Australia exported $ 723 million worth of goods to Russia in 2019-20, including live animals, specialized machinery and meat, according to data collected by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat). Dfat ranked Australia 94th on the list of pre-pandemic Russia’s main export destinations. The Australian government has been particularly critical of the growing alignment between Russia and China – concerns shared by a senior UK intelligence chief. GCHQ director Sir Jeremy Fleming told an audience in Canberra that there were risks for both Russia and China to be “very closely aligned”. “Russia understands that in the long run, China will become more and more militarily and economically powerful,” Fleming said in a speech at the Australian National University. “Some of their interests are in conflict. Russia could withdraw from the equation. “And it is equally clear that a China that wants to set the rules of the road – the rules for a new world government – is not being served well by a close alliance with a regime that deliberately and illegally ignores them all.”
