Ukranian President Voldomyr Zelensky addressed the federal Parliament on Thursday, appealing for support and specifically Australian made 4×4 armoured vehicles known as Bushmaster’s. Today (Friday) Scott Morrison has announced that Australia will supply the requested vehicles, he did not specify how or when they would be transported to Ukraine, however he did reveal that the vehicles would be transported via Boeing C-17 globemaster transport planes.
Morrison stated that “we’re not just sending our prayers, we are sending our guns, we’re sending our munitions, we’re sending our humanitarian aid, we’re sending all of this, our body armor, all of these things and we’re going to be sending our armored vehicles, our Bushmasters, as well.”
He went on further saying “you have our prayers, but you also have our weapons, our humanitarian aid, our sanctions against those who seek to deny your freedom and you even have our coal.”
The federal government has already promised or provided Ukraine with AU$91 million ($68 million) in military assistance, AU$65 million ($49 million) in humanitarian help and 70,000 metric tons (77,200 U.S. tons) of coal.
Zelensky asked that tougher sanctions be imposed on Russia as well as banning their vessels from international ports. He stated that “we need more sanctions against Russia, powerful sanctions until they stop blackmailing other countries with their nuclear missiles.” He specifically asked for Bushmaster vehicles saying that “you have very good armed personnel vehicles, Bushmasters, that could help Ukraine substantially, and other pieces of equipment.
Furthermore Zelensky warned that Australia wouldn’t be safe if the conflict escalated into into a Nuclear war, and that he believes if Russia is victorious it would encourage China to invade Taiwan.
“The most terrible thing is that if we don’t stop Russia now, if we don’t hold Russia accountable, then some other countries of the world who are looking forward to similar wars against their neighbors will decide that such things are possible for them as well,” Zelenskyy said.
