The peak body for Ukrainians in Australia has welcomed the additional support for Ukraine announced by the Morrison Government and thanked it for acknowledging the remarkable courage and resilience being shown by Ukraine against Russia’s unrelenting and illegal invasion.
‘The Morrison Government has recognised that Ukraine needs urgent and ongoing military support. The additional $21 million to assist the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including additional material from Australian Defence Force stocks, will be vital in assisting Ukraine continue to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked war,’ said Mr Stefan Romaniw, Co-Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO).
‘The additional $30 million for humanitarian assistance, which will comprise funds for NGOs assisting children, people living with a disability, women and girls; and assisting Ukraine with its increasingly severe food shortage will also help innocent Ukrainian civilians, who have experienced terrible suffering because of Russia’s targeting of cities, towns and civilian infrastructure’, said Mr Romaniw.
‘This has taken the aid Australia has provided to Ukraine to $146 million in total – a significant commitment to helping Ukraine respond to Russia’s brutal and unwarranted invasion.
‘We welcome the decision by the government to amend the Overseas Aid Gift Deduction Scheme’s list of eligible countries and make donations to approved aid organisations that are directly supporting Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary tax deductible.
‘We also welcome the overnight ban imposed on Australian exports of alumina and aluminium ores (including bauxite) to Russia. As noted by the government, Russia relies on Australia for nearly 20 per cent of its alumina needs. Stopping this source of supply will limit Russia’s capacity to produce aluminium – a critical export for Russia, and a critical input into armaments industries.
‘The additional assistance to support Ukraine’s energy security by donating at least 70,000 tonnes of thermal coal, is also vital to will help keep the country’s coal-fired power generators operating and supplying electricity to the country’s power grid. In the middle of winter, these measures to ensure heating, and electricity to keep industries running, are important.
‘The commitment of the Morrison Government to hold the Putin regime to account for the egregious way in which it is flouting international law by invading its neighbour without justification, and targeting innocent civilians, is also evidenced by the imposition of significant sanctions. We commend the government for imposing a total of 476 sanctions on 443 individuals, including many oligarchs close to President Putin, and 33 entities, including most of Russia’s banking sector and all entities responsible for Russia’s sovereign debt,’ said Mr Romaniw.
Media Inquiries: Stefan Romaniw 0419 531 255
