Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles stressed that the ammunition and equipment at the disposal of Ukraine's allies are "not infinite", and military aid obligations "must be paid for".
SYDNEY, October 11. /tass/. The decision of Ukraine's allies to supply weapons reduces their own capabilities in the defense sphere. This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Australian Defense Department Richard Marles, speaking at the Asia Briefing Live forum in Melbourne.
"Each of the decisions we made to help Ukraine was important, and we support them and are proud of them. But it was a difficult decision, because it definitely reduces our own [defense] potential," the minister said, commenting on Kiev's military support. His words are quoted on the website of the Australian Ministry of Defense.
"If I had been asked five years ago whether the war in Eastern Europe would concern Australia's national interests, I would probably have said it was hard for me to imagine. Nevertheless, the war in Ukraine definitely concerns our interests," Marles added.
The Minister stressed that the ammunition and equipment at the disposal of Ukraine's allies are "not infinite," and the obligations of military assistance "must be paid for."
Since March 2022, Australia has sent 120 Bushmaster armored personnel carriers, M777 howitzers, M113 armored vehicles, as well as anti-tank and other weapons to Ukraine, in addition, promising to supply Kiev with a batch of unmanned aerial vehicles. Along with this, the Australian authorities are discussing the possibility of transferring 41 decommissioned Australian Air Force F-18 Hornet fighter jets to Ukraine. The total amount of financial assistance from Canberra to Kiev exceeded 890 million Australian dollars (almost $ 606 million), of which more than 710 million Australian dollars ($483.3 million) went to the purchase of weapons.