Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will join world leaders at a NATO summit in Europe at the end of this month in talks on global security, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also invited him to visit Kyiv. The Prime Minister’s office has not yet confirmed whether he would take up the invitation to add a visit to Ukraine.
Showing support to NATO as part of the Asia alliance and exploring effective ways of response to the invasion of Ukraine will be discussed while confronting the “no limits” partnership between Russia and China which includes a declaration that they “oppose further enlargement” of NATO.
The agenda includes stronger cooperation on cybersecurity in response to heightened activity by Russia and China, an issue raised between NATO and Australian leaders in the past. Albanese, who has already met with the Indonesian leader is also set to hold talks with US President Joe Biden as well as leaders from Japan and India. Australia is stepping up its global diplomacy as it searches for ways to combat its domestic energy crisis
Albanese is also scheduled to have his first meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the NATO summit, to discuss the multilateral relations of the two countries.
Australia has been asked to support actions considered at the summit to “transform” NATO by sending more forces to the borders with Russia to defend Ukraine.
At the same time, Russia announced on Thursday (local time) that it has banned 121 Australian citizens, including top journalists and defence officials, from entering, accusing them of being part of a “Russophobic agenda”.
Sanctions include journalists from Australia’s ABC News, Sydney Morning Herald, Sky News and Nine Network, as well as businesspeople and various defence officials.
Peter Malinauskas, the premier of South Australia; the mining magnate Gina Rinehart; and the armed forces chief, Gen Angus Campbell, were all included on the list, as were prominent TV personalities Liz Hayes, Stan Grant and Andrew Bolt.
The list also includes four Greek Australians: Strategist editor Anastasia Kapetas, ABC’s Patricia Karvelas; President of SBS’s Board of Directors, George Savvides and Assistant Secretary of the Defense Minister, Matt Yannopoulos.
