WAR – UKRAINE

Zelensky ready for Putin

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Original article by Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 9 : 20-Aug-25

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is ready for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which would be Zelensky’s first face-to-face meeting with Putin since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. The prospect of the two leaders meeting comes after Zelensky and European leaders met with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, with a meeting between Zelensky and Putin to be followed by one that would also involve Trump. Russia’s Tass news agency reported that Putin told Trump he was open to the idea of direct talks with Zelensky. Meanwhile, Trump has ruled out deploying troops in Ukraine but indicated that the nation could provide air support as part of any peace deal.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANISATION

US halts arms, PM gets willing

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Original article by Ben Packham
The Australian – Page: 1 & 9 : 5-Mar-25

US President Donald Trump has suspended all military support for Ukraine, including weapons that were already in transit to the war-torn country. Senior Defense Department officials said the pause will remain in place until Trump is satisfied that Ukraine’s leaders have demonstrated a ‘good faith’ commitment to peace. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has indicated that the federal government would consider providing soldiers for a ‘coalition of the willing’ peacekeeping force in Ukraine if it were asked to do so. However, Peter Dean from the US Studies Centre contends that the Indo-Pacific region should be Australia’s top priority.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES. DEPT OF DEFENSE, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. UNITED STATES STUDIES CENTRE

Zelensky ready to work with Trump to secure peace deal

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Original article by Hans van Leeuwen
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 5-Mar-25

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has sought to mend his strained relations with US President Donald Trump by stating via social media that his nation is committed to peace. Zelensky also said that Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring a lasting peace closer, and his team stands ready to work under Trump’s "strong leadership" to negotiate a peace deal. Zelensky acknowledged that his controversial meeting with Trump and Vice-President JD Vance in the Oval Office last week "did not go the way it was supposed to be", and it is "time to make things right".

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Ukraine a conflict too far for Diggers

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Original article by Ben Packham, Jacquelin Magnay
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 4-Mar-25

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has proposed to European leaders that a peacekeeping force be deployed in Ukraine as a part of a ceasefire plan in the war against Russia. However, although Australia supplied troops to the US-led ‘coalition of the willing’ in Iraq more than two decades ago, neither side of politics seems willing to commit Australian troops to a similar force in Ukraine, with a federal election only a matter of weeks away. Opposition leader Peter Dutton said on Monday that Australia should still support Ukraine in its struggle against Russia, with Dutton labelling Vladimir Putin a "murderous dictator", but he does not see the need for Australia to send troops to Ukraine, while a government spokeswoman said the deployment of Australian troops to the proposed peacekeeping force is not currently under consideration.

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Ukraine, US close to a deal over nation’s natural resources

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Original article by Daryna Krasnolutska, Alex Wickham
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 25-Feb-25

Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna says it and the US are close to concluding a deal that would see the US get a share of Ukraine’s mineral resources. The deal is seen as a vital part of US President Donald Trump’s plans to broker a ceasefire agreement in regard to Russia’s three-year war against Ukraine. It is understood that the US will commit to a "free, sovereign and secure" Ukraine and a "lasting peace" as part of the deal, and that the US will state that anyone who acted adversely against Ukraine during the conflict should not derive any benefit from its reconstruction.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

G20 goes soft on Russia

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 20-Nov-24

The final declaration of the G20 leaders’ summit in Rio de Janeiro has failed to mention the 7 October 2023 terrorist attacks on Israel. The declaration merely stated "deep concern" regarding the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in the Gaza Strip and the escalation of the conflict in Lebanon. It also emphasised the need for an "unwavering commitment" to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while not mentioning the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza or the roles of Hamas and Hezbollah in the current hostilities. The final declaration also did not specifically refer to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but noted the "human suffering and negative added impacts of the war" in Ukraine. The G20 leaders also did not commit to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

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GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20)

Kyiv wins Biden OK on missile strikes in Russia

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Original article by Gordon Lubold, Alexandra Ward
The Australian – Page: 11 : 19-Nov-24

US President Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to use the US’s Army Tactical Missile System to conduct strikes on Russia. The ACTAMS have sufficient range to be used in the Kursk region, where Russia has amassed over 50,000 troops in a bid to recapture it from Ukraine, which seized it earlier in the year. Biden’s permission is seen as a sign that he wants to give as much help as he can to Ukraine before Donald Trump takes office, with Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance expected to push for negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine.

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UNITED STATES. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

‘Not backing down’: G7 summit opens with deal to use Russian assets for Ukraine

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Original article by Paolo Santalucia
The Age – Page: Online : 14-Jun-24

The annual Group of Seven summit has opened in southern Italy, with the G7 leaders agreeing on a US proposal to back a $US50 billion loan to Ukraine that would use frozen Russian assets as collateral. US President Joe Biden said that the loan would serve as another reminder to Russian President Vladimir Putin that "we’re not backing down". Biden made his comments in a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, at which Zelensky was asked about the question of Chinese support for Russia. Zelensky said he had had a phone call with the leader of China, and that he was told that China would not sell any weapons to Russia.

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GROUP OF SEVEN (G-7)

Shorten to tell world Australia stands with Ukraine

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Original article by Matthew Knott
Brisbane Times – Page: Online : 4-Jun-24

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten will represent Australia at a Ukraine peace summit that will be held in Switzerland on 15-16 July. He says Australia is unwavering in its support for the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russia’s "criminal and unforgivable" war. Shorten adds that he will tell the summit that victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine would "embolden dictators globally". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong will not attend the summit, as it will coincide with Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s official visit to Australia.

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AUSTRALIA. SERVICES AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE

Australian elite seek to divert Russia’s $9b dirty money to Ukraine

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Original article by Rob Harris
The Age – Page: Online : 9-Apr-24

The Supporters of Ukraine Network has asked the federal government to confiscate billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets and use the money to support Ukraine. The Supporters of Ukraine Network, which includes health industry leader Dr Tanya Dus and former prime minister John Howard, says the $9 billion in Russian assets that is currently held in Australia would make a enormous difference in terms of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, with the group claiming it would "effectively fund the reconstruction of half of Ukraine’s educational infrastructure".

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