"Australia, US oppose Russia's illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine": PM Anthony Albanese at joint briefing with Biden
Oct 25, 2023
Washington, DC [US], October 26 : Weighing in on the protracted and ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said both the US and Australia were opposed to Moscow's "illegal and immoral invasion" of the neighbouring country.
"We discussed our joint position opposing Russia's illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine," Albanese said at a joint briefing with US President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Addressing the joint briefing at the White House, the Australian PM reaffirmed his country's support for Ukraine.
"Australia stands with Ukraine and President Biden welcomed the package of further assistance that I announced yesterday," PM Albanese said, adding that under this package, Ukraine will be provided with additional military assistance.
"This will provide Ukraine with additional military assistance utilising innovative technology," he added.
According to an official statement released by the White House, the alliance between the US and Australia and its stand against "aggression for Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine" or Hamas' attack on Israel could be relied upon to stand up for their common values.
"In today's uncertain world, the alliance between Australia and the United States and the way that we stand steadfast against aggression, whether it be Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine or whether it be Hamas's terrorist attack on Israel, is something that can be relied upon for us to stand up for our common values," the statement read.
Last month, the US warned of more sanctions against Russia and North Korea as Kim Jong Un arrived in Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin, giving rise to concerns about a possible arms deal between the two countries.
Unfazed by the threat of fresh sanctions, the Kremlin said the Russian economy has adapted well to the Western sanctions and Moscow doesn't fear more such action, Al Jazeera reported.
"Russia has been living under a sanctions regime for quite a long time, for decades, and we have sufficiently adapted to it, so such time horizons as five to 10 years do not scare us," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.
On February 25, 2022, a day after Russia launched a military offensive against Ukraine, the European Union introduced wide-ranging sanctions intended to send a clear signal to Moscow that there would be severe consequences for the conflict.
Amid the prevailing conflict with Ukraine and its global fallout, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said while India-Russia ties may not be spectacular they were "exceptional and steady", adding that in many ways Moscow's relationship with the West has "broken down".
"Now, if one looks at Russia today...as a consequence of what is going on in Ukraine...it seems to them clear that in many ways Russia's relationship with the West has broken down," the EAM said at an event during his recent visit to the US.
