Albanese Joins Ukraine's Peacekeeping 'Coalition of the Willing'

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will join a phone meeting with other world leaders tomorrow night to discuss the possibility of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of the so-called "coalition of the willing."

The call, organized by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, will also include leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and New Zealand, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This follows a recent gathering of world leaders in London and a subsequent meeting of defense officials in Paris earlier this week. Over 30 countries have been involved in talks about how to support Ukraine, with one potential option being a multi-nation peacekeeping force if a ceasefire is reached with Russia.

Sources say Albanese will take part in the call on Saturday night Australian time and is keeping an open mind about whether to send Australian troops as part of a peacekeeping mission.

However, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has made it clear that Australia shouldn’t be involved. He accused Albanese of “shooting from the hip” on this decision.

"It just doesn’t make sense. Our job is to take care of our country and make sure we’re safe in our region," Dutton said on Friday. "We’ve supported Ukraine from the beginning, but not with troops on the ground. This is just a thought bubble from the Prime Minister."

Albanese fired back, saying that Dutton no longer stands with Ukraine.

"We used to have a bipartisan position, but it seems Dutton’s walked away from that," Albanese said. "That’s his decision, but we stand for Ukraine."

Ceasefire Talks Continue

Meanwhile, the future of ceasefire talks remains uncertain. It’s unclear if the United States would offer a security guarantee to Ukraine as part of a ceasefire agreement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed some concerns over a proposed 30-day ceasefire but hasn’t completely ruled it out.

US President Donald Trump described Putin’s response as “promising”, though he said it was still “incomplete” and that he’s open to talking directly with Putin.

On Monday, the Russian embassy in Australia warned that joining this "coalition of the willing" would have "grave consequences". The embassy said “Western boots on the ground” are unacceptable for Russia, and they won’t stay passive if Australia moves forward.

In response, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia would not be intimidated by Russia's threats.