The Ukrainian Greens have lashed their Australian counterparts, calling leader David Shoebridge’s comments against military aid for Kyiv “detached from reality”.
In one of his first foreign policy statements as newly elected Greens leader, Senator Shoebridge earlier this month said he did not back helping Ukraine fight off invading Russian forces unless it was greenlit by the UN Security Council.
But Russia — which has killed more than 15,000 civilians in Ukraine since the 2022 full-scale invasion — can veto UNSC resolutions as a permanent member.
The Ukrainian Greens said on Sunday (AEDT) that Senator Shoebridge’s position “plays into the hands of the aggressor, Vladimir Putin”.
“Dogmatic pacifism kills,” the party said.
“As part of the global environmental movement, we share a commitment to peace.
“However, pacifism in the face of a ruthless invader does not stop war — it leads to occupation and the destruction of an entire nation.”
It added Senator Shoebridge’s “demand that arms supplies be authorised through the UN Security Council, where Russia holds the power of veto, is detached from reality”.
“It is equivalent to asking a criminal for permission to call the police,” the party said.
Senator Shoebridge’s comments have drawn widespread criticism from parliamentarians of all political persuasions.
Labor senator Deborah O’Neill, who chairs the Parliamentary Friends of Ukraine, accused him of deciding to “unilaterally change his party’s policy so as to effectively abandon Ukraine”.
“You have to wonder whether Senator Shoebridge changed his party’s policy back in October of ‘22 after he wined and dined with the Russian ambassador at a Sydney dinner just one week after Mr Putin issued a nuclear threat against Ukraine,” Senator O’Neill said.
“Or has there been a more recent conversion? Because the Greens 2025 election platform did not oppose military assistance to Ukraine.”
Australia has slapped thousands of co-ordinated sanctions on Russia and its shadow fleet of tankers.
It has also given Ukraine almost $1.9 billion in direct aid and helped train Ukrainian troops, making it Kyiv’s biggest backer outside NATO.
The bipartisan support, which includes dozens of battle tanks, has earned Australia a spot on the Kremlin’s list of “unfriendly countries”.
Anthony Albanese signed a security agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month.
The agreement lets Ukraine’s military share “battle-tested expertise” with Australian soldiers and weapons makers.
“This is an issue not just for Europe,” the Prime Minister said at the time.
“This is an issue for the world because, if a large, more powerful country like Russia is allowed to profit from breaking international law through its illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine, then that sets a bad precedent for the entire world.”