We are proud to stand with Ukraine as it defends its people, its territory, and its sovereignty. Today, on this most sombre occasion, the Australian Government is announcing additional
Australia has worked with our partners to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its actions. International unity has underpinned the effective response to Russia's invasion. Contact between Australia and Russia began in 1807, when the Russian naval vessel Neva arrived in Sydney.
Australia and Russia share membership of key multilateral forums including the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit (EAS) and the Group of 20 (G20).
Australia imposes autonomous sanctions in relation to Russia in response to the Russian threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Nine in ten Australians (90%) say they strongly or somewhat support 'admitting Ukrainian refugees into Australia'. The same proportion of Australians (89%) support 'keeping strict sanctions on Russia'. A large majority of Australians (83%) also support Australia 'providing military aid to Ukraine'.
The United States has given the most in grants, valued at 25 billion euros ($26.5 billion). While big, wealthy countries can afford to provide more in absolute terms, smaller countries are making significant offerings of their own.
“Our people are our greatest defence capability, that's why it's so important that our soldiers, alongside a number of partner nations, will provide essential skills to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, supporting Ukraine to end the conflict on its own terms.
This shows that Russia's economy is equivalent to US$4.4 trillion while Australia's measure is unchanged at US$1.4 trillion. Russians are still much poorer than Australians—their purchasing power per person is US$29,600 compared with Australians' US$53,400.
We mourn the incalculable losses that Ukraine has endured. We honour the unwavering resolve and strength of the Ukrainian people as they stand up to Russia's continued aggression. We are proud to stand with Ukraine as it defends its people, its territory, and its sovereignty.
It maintains significant ties with ASEAN and has become steadfastly allied with New Zealand, through long-standing ties dating back to the 1800s. The country also has a longstanding alliance with the United States of America.
The nation holds a PwrIndx* score of 0.2567 (a score of 0.0000 is considered 'perfect'). This entry last reviewed on 01/05/2023.
Bilateral overview
The Australia–Japan partnership is Australia's closest and most mature in Asia and is fundamental to both countries' strategic and economic interests.
Bilateral relations
Ukraine declared independence from the Soviet Union on 24 August 1991, and diplomatic relations between Australia and Ukraine were formally established on 26 December 1991. The Embassy of Ukraine in Australia was established in April 2003.
Australia and New Zealand are not members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but have a decades-long relationship with the Western alliance.
After establishing diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in 1972, Australia established an embassy in Beijing in 1973. The Australia-China bilateral relationship is based on strong economic and trade complementarities and longstanding community and cultural links.
The Australian Government will provide additional Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) to Ukraine. These systems provide a battlefield intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability for the Ukrainian Armed Forces as they continue to fight.
“Over the past year New Zealand has contributed more than $78 million of financial and military support to Ukraine, as well as our support for Ukraine's legal case against Russia, sanctions targeting more than 1500 Russian and Belarussian individuals and entities, and trade measures.
On a mean wealth basis, Australia was the fourth-richest country in 2021 behind Switzerland, the US and Hong Kong.
Global Wealth Report 2022: Average Australian three times richer than America | news.com.au — Australia's leading news site.
Australia has plentiful supplies of natural resources, including the second largest accessible reserves of iron ore in the world, the fifth largest reserves of coal and significant gas resources. For a long time, commodities have made up a sizeable share of our exports.
Currently, Australia's largest international military commitment comprises approximately 1550 ADF personnel deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Slipper. This is Australia's contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
The Army protects Australian interests well beyond our own borders. We have a presence in several countries including Iraq, Egypt, Israel and South Sudan; and have recently served in Afghanistan and East Timor. Military training exercises test and reinforce our ability to respond to a variety of situations.
Australia has now granted more than 9500 visas for people from Ukraine, and nearly 4500 of this cohort have arrived in Australia. As of 13 Jun 2022, around 900 Ukrainians had arrived in Victoria, and around 230 people from Ukraine arrived in the second half of 2022.
China has become an increasingly important trading partner for Russia as it seeks to soften the impact of economic sanctions imposed by some countries in response to its invasion.