Australia Urged to Provide Coal to Ukraine

Shadow foreign affairs minister Simon Birmingham said the Albanese government should provide energy support through Ukraine’s long, deep, dark winter.

An explosion of a drone is seen in the sky over the city during a Russian drone strike, Ukraine, on Nov. 25, 2023. Gleb Garanich/Reuters

Shadow foreign affairs minister Simon Birmingham is urging the federal government to provide energy assistance to Ukraine “today.”

This follows reports that Ukraine is still waiting on an answer from Australia after requesting coal nearly one month ago.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is “considering” a request from the Ukraine ambassador to Australia but has stopped short of agreeing to supply coal immediately.

Senator Birmingham said the Federal Government should provide a quick “yes” on energy assistance to Ukraine.

“It should be, yes, today. It should have been, yes, last month when the request was made. In fact, it should have been a proactive offer many, many months ago to Ukraine,” he said in an interview with Sky News on Jan. 2.

“Australian coal, providing energy support through a long, deep, dark winter for Ukraine has been critical to date and the fact that Ukraine had to come asking for it again, rather than the Albanese Government offering it, is a shame on Australia’s foreign policy at present.”

Mr. Birmingham said Australia should have been “far more proactive” and leading in relation to providing this type of support to Ukraine.

“Conflict is not just about their own nation, it is also about defence of the international rules and laws that we rely upon as a nation, and that we seek to defend as important values across the globe,” he said.

Coal is ‘Not a Lifestyle Choice: Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia

Ambassador of Ukraine to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko said “coal is not a lifestyle choice” in comments reported in the Australian Financial Review.

He said the need for coal is ongoing and will also be needed in six to eight months from now.

“We made a request, and it’s based on necessity. For us, it’s a matter of survival as we see Russia intensifying their attacks on critical infrastructure and power generation and electricity grids,” he said.

“In a way the campaign for this coal was for Christmas. If the decision is made to ... dispatch we’ll get it closer to the winter next year, which starts pretty much in October.”

When asked by the media on Jan. 3 if the government would agree to Ukraine’s request to send coal in the winter, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would consider it.

“Look, we'll give consideration. I note the comments of the Ambassador from Ukraine who was talking about next October, next winter was what he was talking about in today’s Australian Financial Review,” Mr. Albanese said.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told The Epoch Times that Australia is helping empower Ukraine to end the war on its own terms.

“We are in close contact with the Ukrainian Embassy and our partners to ensure we are making the most effective contributions,” the spokesperson said.

“Australia has committed approximately $910 million in overall assistance to Ukraine including $730 million in military support.”

A member of a Ukrainian volunteer unit and a computer science student "Valdemar", 19, poses in a gun position used by the unit to counter threats during air-raid sirens in a suburb of Kyiv on Feb. 28, 2023. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images