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The Commonwealth government is set to tap into the ADF stocks to deliver additional military supplies to Ukraine.
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After consulting with counterparts in Ukraine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Defence Peter Dutton have pledged an additional $21 million in defensive military assistance for Ukrainian Armed Forces in support of the country's resistance to Russian aggression.
The new assistance package, which takes Australia’s total contribution to $91 million, is expected to include additional material from Australian Defence Force stocks.
Details regarding the quantity and nature of the military equipment have not been disclosed.
The government has also committed a further $30 million in emergency humanitarian assistance, focused on protecting women, children, the elderly and the disabled.
This includes:
- $10 million for non-government organisations under the Australian Humanitarian Partnership;
- $8 million for the United Nations Population Fund to protect displaced women and girls;
- $10 million for the World Food Programme; and
- $2 million for the Emergency Action Alliance Ukraine Appeal.
This takes Australia's total humanitarian contribution since Russia’s invasion to $65 million.
The general public will also be incentivised to support the Ukrainian community, with the government amending the Overseas Aid Gift Deduction Scheme’s list of eligible countries.
The donations are expected to support Ukrainian refugees, with those arriving in Australia to be granted a temporary humanitarian visa — valid for three years and allowing people to work, study and access Medicare.
Approximately 4,500 visas have been granted to Ukrainians since Russia launched its invasion. A grant of $450,000 will be issued to community groups supporting incoming refugees.
Energy and security support has also been included in the government's latest assistance package, with 70,000 tonnes of thermal coal to be donated to Ukraine.
Whitehaven Coal has arranged a shipment, with the cost to be covered by the Commonwealth.
The announcement of the new assistance package has coincided with the imposition of new sanctions on Russia, with an immediate ban on Australian exports of alumina and aluminium ores to Russia introduced.
“Aluminium is a global input across the auto, aerospace, packaging, machinery and construction sectors, and a critical input into armaments industries,” the government noted in a joint statement.
“Russia relies on Australia for nearly 20 per cent of its alumina needs. The Foreign Minister has imposed the export ban under Australia’s autonomous sanctions against Russia.
“The government will work closely with exporters and peak bodies that will be affected by the ban to find new and expand existing markets.”
This comes just days after Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne announced new sanctions on Russian governments and financial entities.
Added to the list of sanctioned individuals and institutions are the Russian National Wealth Fund and the Russian Ministry of Finance, which, along with the previously sanctioned Central Bank of Russia, are responsible for issuing and managing sovereign debt.
Other institutions to be hit by this latest wave of sanctions include:
- Sberbank;
- Gazprombank;
- VEB;
- VTB;
- Rosselkhozbank;
- Sovcombank;
- Novikombank;
- Alfa-Bank; and
- Credit Bank of Moscow.
The government has also committed to listing individuals and oligarchs of “economic and strategic significance to Russia”, known to have supported and benefited from President Vladimir Putin.
Adding to the 41 oligarchs and immediate family members previously targeted by financial sanctions and travel bans, Australia has listed two billionaires with links to business interests in Australia — Oleg Deripaska and Viktor Vekselberg.
[Related: Australia imposes fresh sanctions on Russia]
