Australia, a key security ally of the United States, which has approved 1.5 billion Australian dollars in aid to Ukraine during its war against Russia, stated on Thursday that Russia is the aggressor in the conflict and that the war should be resolved according to Kyiv’s conditions.
U.S. President Donald Trump referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator” on Wednesday and said he should act quickly to secure peace or risk losing his country, according to Reuters.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said that the conflict has caused an extraordinary loss of life but emphasized that peace cannot be achieved at any cost.
“The war in Ukraine must be resolved on Ukraine’s terms because the aggressor here is Russia, and what’s at stake is the integrity of the rules-based order, the global rules-based order,” Marles told reporters on Thursday.
“We welcome efforts to end it, but it cannot be at any cost; it must be on Ukraine’s terms, and we will continue to support Ukraine in this,” he added.
Australia is an important U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific security field, where both countries have expressed concern over China’s military strengthening.
Even Australia’s conservative opposition criticized Trump’s stance on Ukraine.
“I think President Trump has got this wrong,” said Peter Dutton, leader of the opposition Liberal Party, on Thursday. “The idea that President Zelensky or the Ukrainian people started this fight or were somehow responsible for the war is simply wrong,” he added. Dutton was Australia’s Defense Minister when the war in Ukraine began.
“Australia must stand strong and proud with the people of Ukraine. It is a democracy, and this is a fight for civilization. Vladimir Putin is a murderous dictator, and we should not give him an inch,” the Australian opposition leader said.
