Australia will gift dozens of retiring tanks to Ukraine in a $245 million package aimed at bolstering the country’s defence of the Russian invasion.
The 49 military vehicles make up almost the entire fleet of the Australian Army’s formerly critical Abrams M1A1 tanks, which Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy called its “armoured fist”.
The announcement came on the same day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled what he called his “victory plan” for the war, which includes joining NATO and using Western-supplied longer-range missiles to strike military targets deep inside Russia among its stickier points.
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Zelenskyy was yet to comment on the donation but an Australian peak body for Ukrainian organisations thanked the government for “stepping up”.
Conroy said the tanks would deliver “more firepower and mobility” to Ukrainian troops and were just the latest example of Australia’s “steadfast support” for the country.
“Russia is trying to take us back to a world where spheres of interest reign, where only great powers are truly sovereign and their actions are above the law,” he told reporters in London yesterday.
“This is not a world where the people of Australia or the people of the United Kingdom would thrive.”
Ukraine has been pushing to receive the ageing tanks since at least February but Defence Minister Richard Marles previously insisted a handover was “not on the agenda”.
Asked why the donation had taken so long to be realised, Conroy said the timing was “logical” as Australia had begun to receive a replacement model.
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“They were the backbone of the Australian Army. They were the Armoured Fist of the Australian Army, and they did excellent service in Australia, and they’ll do excellent service in Ukraine,” he said.
“And obviously, we’re in the process of replacing that M1A2 Abrams, so it’s the logical time to hand them over as part of our support for the armoured brigades of Ukraine as they fight a very intense war against Russia.”
The donation took Canberra’s total military donations to Kyiv to $1.3 billion, with another $200 million in non-military aid.
A handful of M1A1 Abrams tanks will remain behind in Australia to help the transition to the M1A2 models.
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Russia has repeatedly threatened to retaliate against NATO countries who have given military assistance to Ukraine but Conroy doesn’t appear worried about any consequences.
“Far be it for me to be a spokesperson for Russia but I expect them to continue to break the international rules-based order as they continue the illegal invasion of Ukraine,” he said.
“We’re proud to displease them. We’re proud to be part of a global effort to say no to their illegal invasion and stand with the people of Ukraine in their valiant struggle.
“So quite frankly, this is a good day for the people of Ukraine and it’s a bad day for Vladimir Putin.”
Asked about whether Australia would finally move its embassy back to Kyiv, he said it was a question best asked of the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, citing occupational health and safety concerns.
As the war grinds through its third year, the mood in Ukraine is grim as its troops face difficulty holding back Russian advances, especially in the east.
Although Moscow’s gains are incremental, the steady forward movement is making Kyiv feel it needs more large-scale Western help.
Zelenskyy told lawmakers yesterday that Ukraine’s Western partners were increasing pressure to negotiate with Russia, but he hinted such talks would be unfavourable to Kyiv as he unveiled what he called his “victory plan” for the war.
Major points of the plan include an invitation for Ukraine to join NATO and permission to use Western-supplied longer-range missiles to strike military targets deep inside Russian territory — steps that have been met with reluctance by Kyiv’s allies so far.
“If we start moving according to this victory plan now, it may be possible to end the war no later than next year,” Zelenskyy told the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament.
He will present the five-point plan to the European Council on Thursday.
Zelenskyy also said that in private communications with Ukraine, its partners are increasingly mentioning “negotiations” and much less frequently using the word “justice”.
But he reiterated that Ukraine is not prepared for a “frozen conflict” or any “trade-offs involving territory or sovereignty”, which drew sustained applause from the lawmakers.
Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden spoke by phone yesterday (today AEDT) to discuss a new $US425 million ($637 million) package of security assistance for Ukraine from Washington, the White House said.
Asked about Ukraine’s “victory plan”, White house press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded, “That’s their plan, and let them speak to it”, adding that the US would continue “to show our support for the Ukrainians on the battlefield”.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine also needed more air defence systems and assistance from partners to shoot down Russian missiles. It also requested access to a broader range of intelligence from allies.
Besides the NATO invitation and seeking permission for the longer-range missile attacks, Zelenskyy’s plan includes continued military operations in Russia, such as the incursion into the Kursk border region that began in August.
Conroy didn’t rule out the tanks being used in such operations, saying Australia did not impose any restrictions on its military aid to Ukraine beyond complying with international law.
– Reported with Associated Press.
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