Australia to open embassy in Kiev and consider 'non-lethal' military assistance to Ukraine, PM Tony Abbott says

Updated

Australia will open an embassy in Kiev and is considering providing military assistance to Ukraine as it battles Russian-backed rebels, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has told Parliament.

Mr Abbott said the "interim" embassy would support nine Australian Federal Police investigators who are in Ukraine investigating the Malaysia Airlines MH17 tragedy.

He said the Government was also considering short-term humanitarian and non-lethal military assistance to Ukraine, and was suspending uranium exports to Russia.

"Australia and Ukraine are geographically distant but we have grown close in responding to the MH17 atrocity in which 37 Australians were murdered, were murdered by Russian-backed rebels," Mr Abbott said.

"In the medium term, we are considering civil and military capacity-building assistance to that country."

Mr Abbott said Australia was grateful for Ukraine's help in recovering the bodies of passengers on MH17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July with the loss of nearly 300 lives.

"The Government, and I believe the Australian people, would like to repay Ukraine for its support and friendship, especially as Ukraine continues to be subject to active destabilisation and indeed outright invasion from Russia, a country it has never ever sought to harm." the PM said.

Australia's uranium sales to Russia September 2007 Russia signs agreement to buy Australian uranium for nuclear reactors

Vladimir Putin confirms deal after talks with PM John Howard

Deal reportedly worth $1 billion a year

November 2010 Nuclear cooperation agreement ratified by Julia Gillard and Dmitry Medvedev

Russia plans to more than double its nuclear power generating capacity by 2020

November 2012 Trial shipment of Australian uranium arrives in St Petersburg

No commercial shipments have been sent

"We will do what we can to help our friends and to uphold the rule of law around the world.

"I am pleased that our flag will shortly fly alongside Ukraine's as a sign of our support in these troubled times."

Mr Abbott also confirmed Australia had suspended uranium exports to Russia.

In recent days, the Government has increased its trade sanctions against Russia over its response to the Malaysia Airlines plane attack, as well as its stance on Ukraine.

During Question Time, Greens MP Adam Bandt asked Mr Abbott whether uranium sales would be added to the sanctions.

"There will be no Australian uranium sales to Russia until further notice and Australia has no intention of selling uranium to a country which is so obviously in breach of international law as Russia currently is," Mr Abbott said.

Putin and Ukrainian president agree on ceasefire

Shortly after Mr Abbott's comments, the office of Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko said Ukraine and Russia had agreed on a "permanent ceasefire" in eastern Ukraine's Donbass region.

"Mutual understanding was achieved concerning the steps which will enable the establishment of peace," Mr Poroshenko's press office said in a statement.

Donbass, which includes the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, has been the scene of heavy fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels.

Russian president Vladimir Putin spoke to Mr Poroshenko by telephone on Wednesday, with the two leaders largely agreeing on what needs to be done to resolve the Ukraine crisis, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.

"The viewpoints of the presidents of the two countries largely coincide on possible ways out of the grave crisis situation," Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying.

The apparent ceasefire deal came as US president Barack Obama touched down in Estonia for talks with Eastern European leaders ahead of this weekend's NATO summit in Wales.

Mr Obama is expected to use his trip to reaffirm Washington's commitment to the security of ex-Soviet NATO members.

Estonia and other Baltic nations have been calling for permanent NATO bases in eastern Europe amid the escalating tensions fuelled by the fighting in eastern Ukraine.

Topics: government-and-politics, world-politics, abbott-tony, ukraine

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