Opposition Calls for Australian Ambassador to Ukraine to be Returned
A spokesperson from DFAT stated that the embassy’s return to Kyiv will be dependent on comprehensive assessments of security, work health, and safety risks.
Australian Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham is urging for the reestablishment of Australia’s ambassador to Ukraine in Kyiv.
He also pledged that the Coalition would relocate Australia’s embassy back to the Ukrainian capital from its current location in Warsaw, Poland, due to concerns for staff safety and security.
The Senator is presently in Kyiv, engaging with senior Ukrainian officials and observing the effects of the war firsthand.
Expressing his concerns from Ukraine, Birmingham emphasized the need for Australia’s ambassador to be present in Ukraine rather than in Poland, where the rent is still being paid for the embassy.
“We’ve consistently stated that ideally Australia’s ambassador to Ukraine should be based in Ukraine. Instead, our embassy is being rented within the Canadian embassy in Kyiv while our ambassador is stationed in Poland about 100 kilometers away,” he told Sky News.
He highlighted that without the ambassador in Ukraine, Australia was gathering “weaker and poorer” information.
Paul Lehmann, Australia’s Ambassador to Ukraine, was appointed in December 2023.
He has previously served in senior diplomatic positions in Papua New Guinea, Nigeria, and Afghanistan.
Birmingham expressed respect for Lehmann’s work and said he does the best possible job he can under the rules set by the department and the Albanese government.
He said that if Ukraine prevails in the war, it will send a powerful signal to all of the tyrants and autocrats around the world.
Foreign Affairs Decision Based on Security
A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson told The Epoch Times that Australia remains unwavering in its support for the Ukrainian government and people.
“Australia’s diplomatic presence in Ukraine is kept under regular review. For now, our Embassy to Ukraine is operating remotely from Warsaw, where our Head of Mission manages Australia’s interests effectively, supported by close engagement with Ukraine’s embassy in Canberra,” the spokesperson said.
“Any decision on a permanent return of our embassy to Kyiv would be based on thorough security and work health and safety risk assessments,” the spokesperson said.
In the last month, 40 civilians in Ukraine were killed by Russian missile strikes, including one at a children’s hospital in Kyiv.
During a Senate Estimates hearing, DFAT Secretary Jan Adams said she views staff safety and security as paramount and that her assessment of Work Health and Safety responsibilities remained unchanged.
“The risks to personnel there are high. Kyiv’s air defense systems have, I think, performed admirably, but, as we saw with the very unfortunate events over the new year, they’re not able to defend completely against missile attacks from the Russians,” Adams said.
Adams said the situation remained unpredictable and quite challenging to mitigate, with the embassy operating remotely out of Warsaw.
“There is a serious risk to life,” the advice, updated Aug. 23, states.
“If you’re in Ukraine, be aware of your surroundings, review your personal security plans and monitor media for information about changing security conditions and alerts to shelter in place.”
