Senator VAN (Victoria) (13:15): I rise to speak on a matter that is of urgent geopolitical concern to Australia and should be to all Australians. The current build-up of over 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border is the biggest concentration of firepower in eastern Europe since the Cold War. This inherently threatens to destabilise not only the regional security of that … [Read more...]

Australia is very concerned by Russia’s military build-up on Ukraine’s border. In a call with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba today, I reaffirmed Australia’s steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Australia supports our close partners, including the United States, EU and NATO, in deterring Russia from escalating tensions. Australia … [Read more...]