Anthony Albanese says it is in 'Australia's national interest' to back Ukraine following virtual world leader summit

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that standing with Ukraine aligns with "Australia's national interest" after a virtual meeting with other world leaders aimed at garnering support for ceasefire negotiations. Mr. Albanese participated in the phone conference with European and Commonwealth allies hosted by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday evening.

Sir Keir urged the 25 world leaders, including Mr. Albanese, to sign a "coalition of the willing" to protect Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia to accept a ceasefire. Both the UK and France have indicated their willingness to send peacekeepers to Ukraine should a ceasefire agreement be reached, and Mr. Albanese stated that his government is open to relevant requests.

However, in an interview with reporters on Sunday, the Prime Minister pointed out that any peacekeeping arrangement would have to occur after Russia agreed to a ceasefire, as "you need peace to have peacekeepers." When asked what that might look like, Mr. Albanese stated that Australia would only provide a "modest contribution" if a decision was made to send troops. He stated after the meeting: "Australia stands with Ukraine, and we will continue to do so for as long as it takes."

Mr. Albanese stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime harbors "imperial ambitions" towards Ukraine and other regions, calling the conflict "a struggle for the international rule of law." Mr. Albanese added: "We must ensure that Russia's illegal and immoral behavior is not rewarded through any peace process."

Opposition Deputy Leader Sussan Ley reiterated the coalition's position on Sunday that while it would stand with Ukraine "against the illegal and immoral invasion," peacekeeping forces on the ground were best handled by Europe. Meanwhile, Greens leader Adam Bandt told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's "Insiders" program that while the party's preference was to keep Australian troops out of harm's way, it would ultimately depend on the requests made and the peace agreement reached.

Sir Keir told leaders at the summit that Mr. Putin must "sooner or later" "come to the negotiating table." He said: "But, and this is a big but, we can't sit on our hands this morning in our meeting and simply wait for that to happen. We have to keep pushing, keep moving forward and preparing for peace – a secure and lasting peace." He stated that defense ministers from various countries are scheduled to meet in the UK this Thursday to finalize "robust plans" to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire.

Sir Keir stated that plans for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia must include the cooperation of the United States when asked if he was still seeking a security "backstop" from Washington. He had previously stated that he was open to the idea of the UK sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, but that the US must provide a back-up security guarantee – which he sees as a crucial measure to prevent Putin from attacking again. Sir Keir said at a press conference on Saturday: "The US position on this hasn't changed. I've been clear that this needs to be done in partnership with the United States... We're in constant dialogue with the United States on a daily basis."

Mr. Trump stated that the war was "very possible" to end after his envoy, Steve Witkoff, held lengthy meetings with Mr. Putin in Moscow, with the US President calling the meetings "very good and productive." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also attended the meetings, saying he saw a "good chance" to end the war and had reached "strong security understandings" with European partners. He had previously stated that he had discussed future security guarantees with allies in Kyiv, adding that 100% air defense coverage was needed as a deterrent in any peace agreement.

Mr. Putin said on Thursday that Russia supports the US ceasefire proposal in principle, but cannot halt fighting until a number of conditions are met. He had previously stated that he wanted Ukraine to drop its ambitions to join NATO, for Russia to control the entirety of the four Ukrainian regions it claims to own, and for restrictions to be placed on the size of the Ukrainian military – demands that have been rejected by Kyiv. Mr. Zelensky stated that the issue of territory was "complicated" and should be discussed after a ceasefire. He also stated that Kyiv would never recognize occupied territory as Russian territory.