Remarks, Australia-Ukraine meeting

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE: I’m very thankful to Anthony personally, and we have very good relations. Thank you to your people, the people of Australia, and your team. Thank you for such great support from the very beginning of this war. Australian people have always been on the side of Ukraine. Thank you very much for real support, specific one, military support, energy support, which was absolutely crucial, humanitarian. Thank you very much for the benefit and for your support, and that you [are] politically and geopolitically, always with us. Thank you very much. Today we signed, I think that the strongest document within our country, strategic document, security agreement, and where we will have, really will increase our co-production and trade, and of course security, which is very important. It’s not about the time of the war. It’s all about long period, long-term agreement. We have during the war, we began to have such relations with the very close partners. So this is our security agreement, and we’re so happy that we have such documents, such decisions between our people. It’s all for our people, for the security. Thank you so much.

ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: Can I pay tribute to my friend, President Zelenskyy, and the people of Ukraine, who are inspiring the world with their bravery, with their courage, with their commitment to defend their sovereign nation. This is an issue not just for Europe. This is an issue for the world, because if a large, more powerful country in Russia is allowed to profit from breaking the international rules of law with its illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, then that sets a bad precedent for the entire world. The people of Ukraine have now, for in its fifth year, shown incredible resilience in resisting the aggression that has occurred. And this agreement, this bilateral security agreement that Australia and Ukraine signed today, is a proud day for Australians because Australia does stand for the international rule of law. We do stand for national sovereignty. We do stand for human rights. This agreement, coupled with today, we’re announcing an additional $60 million in support for Ukraine, including military support and humanitarian support. We’re also assisting, along with like-minded countries, with the development of Ukraine’s navy. We’ve been an active participant in the coalition of the willing because we regard the people of Ukraine as an inspiration for all who stand for democracy and stand for human rights and stand for national sovereignty. So Australia proudly stands with Ukraine. We made that commitment at the very beginning of this conflict, and we have not wavered, and we will not waver. I look forward to this agreement not just being in place during a period of war and conflict, but importantly as Ukraine is able to develop as a peaceful nation and to develop trade and the relations between our two countries as friends. And I do want to just pay tribute to my friend here, and his leadership has been, I think, quite extraordinary, leading people in circumstances which are extraordinarily difficult and which have been underestimated as well. I think Russia thought it could just steamroll through in a matter of weeks, and what we have found is that the people of Ukraine were underestimated and their commitment.

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