Australia to provide $95 million in funding to Ukraine
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The news: The Albanese government announced a $95 million funding boost for Ukraine and additional sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet on Wednesday.
The numbers: The funding announced by Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong includes $43 million in tactical air defence radars, munitions, and combat engineering equipment, as well as $50 million for NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), marking the first time Australia has contributed to the program. The package also includes a $2 million contribution to equipping Ukraine with advanced drone technologies.
The funding brings Canberra's total defence support to $1.7 billion since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
The context: “Australia is unwavering in its support for Ukraine. These commitments will make a tangible difference in Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion,” Marles said. "We are proud to be contributing to PURL, standing in solidarity with our partners in NATO and the Indo-Pacific to see a just and lasting peace for Ukraine," he added.
The sanctions on Russia’s shadow fleet will apply to 45 Russian ships which have been used to try and get around sanctions on Russian oil.
Wong explained that the move is a coordinated effort to “starve Russia’s oil revenues and limit its ability to finance its invasion…As a result of the actions we have taken, direct Australian imports of Russian energy products have fallen from $80 million, before Russia's invasion, to zero."
New Zealand is expected to make a similar announcement overnight.
