Australia Open to Sending Peacekeeping Forces to Ukraine, Rules Out Combat Troops

Australia may consider joining an international peacekeeping mission in Ukraine if a settlement to end the war is reached, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, stressing the decision would rest with Cabinet.

“But certainly Australia’s position has been very clear from the beginning, which is that Ukraine sovereignty is important because this isn’t just a struggle about Ukraine,” Albanese told Sky News Australia on Aug. 19.

While open to taking part in stabilising Ukraine after a ceasefire, the prime minister ruled out any combat involvement.

“Not to fight. That has never been a suggestion,” he said.

Albanese added that peace was in the interest of both Kyiv and Moscow, noting the wider global fallout of the invasion.

“We saw the Russian invasion was one of the major factors behind the inflation spike that we saw, so it had an impact on supermarket shelves right around the world,” he said.

His comments coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meetings in Washington with U.S. President Donald Trump.

On Aug. 17, Albanese joined a virtual meeting of world leaders to discuss Ukraine’s peace negotiations. The talks included British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron as part of the “Coalition of the Willing,” a grouping of countries committed to supporting Kyiv.

Opposition to Support Peacekeeping Efforts

The opposition has also signalled it is prepared to consider Australia’s involvement in a peacekeeping mission.

Shadow Finance Minister James Paterson said if there is to be a durable peace, security guarantees for Ukraine are going to be necessary.

“Now, that would have to be led by the United States and European partners. But if Australia is invited to play a role in that, then we should consider whether we can make a constructive contribution to that,” Paterson told ABC News.

Allies Commit to Post-War Support

The global discussions followed Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

In a joint statement after the talks, Macron and Starmer reaffirmed their support for Kyiv and praised Zelenskyy’s “determination to seek a just and lasting peace.”

“The leaders also commended President Trump’s commitment to providing security guarantees to Ukraine, in which the Coalition of the Willing will play a vital role through the Multinational Force Ukraine, among other measures,” the statement said.

They confirmed plans to deploy a reassurance force once hostilities cease and to assist in protecting Ukraine’s skies and seas, as well as rebuilding its armed forces.