Ukrainians in Australia criticize Minister Penny Wong for comments on allowing strikes deep into Russia

The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) has issued a call for the Australian government to support allowing Ukraine to use long-range weapons to strike deep into Russia. This latest statement from the community responds to comments made by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on ABC Radio.

“When asked whether Ukraine should be afforded the right to use long-range strike capabilities against Russian military targets, the Foreign Minister evoked the dictator Putin’s ‘tough talk’ of red-lines and his threats to use small-scale nuclear weapons,” the AFUO statement reads.

For more than two and a half years, Putin has consistently issued threats whenever he perceived new aid to Ukraine that might bolster its defense capabilities. In February 2022, he declared that Russia’s response to Western actions would be ‘immediate’ and would result in ‘consequences that you have never faced in your history.’

“In the time since, he has declared many ‘red lines’, including around the provision of ATACMS, F16s and western tanks, all of which were eventually provided and used to great effect. As noted by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy this week on Putin: “There’s a lot of bluster – that’s his modus operandi,” the AFUO writes.

Putin is once again resorting to intimidation and pressure, this time regarding Ukraine’s use of long-range strike capabilities to attack airfields, bases, and logistical centers that support Russian missile strikes on Ukraine.

“But we shouldn’t play into the Kremlin’s hands. As noted by retired Lt General Ben Hodges (former commander of US Army forces in Europe), there is no moral, legal or military reason for restricting Ukraine from using these weapons across the border in self-defence,” emphasized Kateryna Argyrou, Co-Chair AFUO and member of UWC.

Ukrainians in Australia express sincere gratitude to the Australian government for its aid to Ukraine but urge it to continue its support, as the fight is ongoing. “Unfortunately, despite the Foreign Minister’s insistence that Australia remains the largest non-NATO contributor to Ukraine, that has not been the case for two years. Australia is now seventh among non-NATO supporters, after Austria, Cyprus, Malta, Japan, Ireland and Switzerland, and we rank 36th of 41 donor countries by GDP, as tracked by the Kiel Institute. We are last among the developed G20 countries which support Ukraine,” the AFUO concludes.