Shmyhal discusses defense support and sanctions with Australian Foreign Minister
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal met with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong to discuss military assistance, the restoration of Ukraine, and sanctions pressure on Russia.
The Prime Minister announced this on his telegram channel, Censor.NET reports.
Shmyhal noted that Australia is the largest donor of military aid to Ukraine among non-NATO countries. The total amount of aid exceeds $1 billion, of which $880 million is military support.
Australia has also transferred 50 million euros to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
"This will open a €250 million credit line for Ukraine, which will help in the recovery and strengthening of our resilience. I also called on Australian businesses to join the reconstruction effort," the Prime Minister said.
In addition, the country made a contribution to the Energy Support Fund for Ukraine in the amount of $6.39 million.
The head of the Ukrainian government called on Australian business to join the process of rebuilding Ukraine and expressed gratitude for the assistance already provided.
Special attention was paid to sanctions policy. Shmyhal emphasized the importance of increasing sanctions pressure on Russia and thanked Australia for joining the initiative to counter the "shadow fleet" that Russia uses to circumvent restrictions.
"Despite the considerable distance, we feel the strong and significant support that Australia has been providing to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's illegal aggressive war. I thank the Australian government and people for this assistance," Shmyhal summarized.
As a reminder, today, December 18, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong arrived in Kyiv on a visit.
