Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of NATO.
Zelensky personally thanked Albanese for Australia’s new commitment of a six-month deployment of the sophisticated Wedgetail reconnaissance plane and 100 military personnel to protect the supply line of military weapons into Ukraine. The Ukrainian president said he was grateful that Australia was standing “shoulder to shoulder” with his countrymen and women and said the contribution of military hardware, particularly the Bushmasters, was “crucial” and “very important on the battlefield”.Zelensky said the pair discussed the situation on the frontline, Ukraine’s defence needs and further co-operation – in particular, the possible expansion of military support with new types of armoured vehicles and weapons.
“We are proud to provide additional Bushmaster vehicles to assist the brave men and women fighting for their home and their nation’s sovereignty,” he said.