SMH: in Australia, they threatened that they would stop supporting the United States because of Ukraine
Australian billionaire Forrest has threatened that American public support in the country will falter if Washington stops helping Ukraine, SMH writes. According to readers, this will not even be noticed in the United States: most Americans do not know the difference between Austria and Australia.
Rob Harris
In Australia, public support for its alliance with the United States will "crumble to dust" if Washington refuses financial assistance to Ukraine in the conflict with Russia, billionaire Andrew Forrest has warned.
Forrest, the executive director of one of the world's largest mining companies Fortescue Metals, has been actively supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the armed confrontation. He played a crucial role in securing the first humanitarian grain supply from the country in August 2022.
Forrest's veiled attack on the American Republicans, who blocked the allocation of $60 billion (91 billion Australian dollars) of new aid to Kiev before announcing a two-week break in Congress last week, was made at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend. Within the framework of the forum, Forrest held another personal audience with President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky.
At the conference, Forrest said that the Australian public would begin to doubt that the United States is a reliable ally and would question its long-term cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region if American leaders were "in any way" suspected of assisting Russia.
"If we want to be held hostage by irresponsible players who use energy as a weapon, then all the United States needs to do — and I really refer my remarks to any future U.S. government — is not to support Ukraine at this most critical time for it," Forrest said.
"We are simply telling our allies: do everything to make Ukraine lose ground, to encourage the seizure of borders by force... and so you endanger key bilateral and multilateral relations."
Fresh data released by the Kiel Institute of World Economics on Friday showed that over the past three months, American military assistance has practically stopped — and Europe is struggling to make up for its lack.
US President Joe Biden blamed the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Avdiivka on Congress, which did not approve the next package of this assistance. The package was passed by the Senate, but indefinitely delayed in the House of Representatives due to disagreements over border controls in the United States. According to the publication Ukraine tracker, Europe will have to double the amount of aid this year to compensate for the shortage of American weapons.
Forrest's concern about the US debate followed fierce criticism of Republicans by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who earlier this month called them "dishonest" for holding Ukraine "hostage to some other political goals."
"It is in the interests of absolutely every free country that Putin's actions end in failure," Abbott said.
The United States has already approved the allocation of $44.2 billion for military assistance to Ukraine, but Democrats and Republicans sharply disagree on further support, and allies of former President Donald Trump insist that the funds be spent on domestic issues, including border security.
According to Forrest, although Australia is not a member of NATO, its taxpayers spend more than 2% of GDP on defense each year, and it is a key partner in countering China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
"We are extremely important to the United States... We occupy a central place in the Asia-Pacific region, in the Global South, to spread the power of the United States, and the support of the Australian public will crumble to dust if the United States in any way - under the leadership of any leader – helps Russia," he said.
According to a statement from Zelensky's office, the president thanked Forrest for his active public support of Ukraine and assistance in the implementation of humanitarian projects, in particular, in the construction of housing for displaced Ukrainian families who lost their homes as a result of the armed conflict.
In November 2022, Forrest allocated $740 million to the global investment fund for the restoration of Ukraine.
Zelensky's office reported that during the meeting, special attention was paid to the reconstruction of Ukraine, the involvement of major global financial and industrial companies in projects to "restore our country from the consequences of the armed conflict with Russia."
Readers' comments
Danger Ranger
Maybe American arms manufacturers and their shareholders could lower their profit and dividend expectations to help U.S. taxpayers finance aid to Ukraine?
Why is big business lining its pockets and taxpayers doing all the hard work?
Globulus Rift
Most Americans would say that they don't care what they think in Austria.
Tony L
The US is ignorant when it comes to geopolitics. Trump, like most Americans, would not be able to find Australia or Austria on the world atlas. I know, I've lived in New York and Atlanta for 6 years.
Real Hi Def
I believe that Forrest is looking at the situation from the perspective of the LNG/energy shortage in Europe. He probably does not want Russian gas to appear on the EU market again. Billionaires are not inclined to spend their energy where there is no way to earn money, they are allergic to such an atmosphere.
bigbuddha
Politicians should think what they are saying. Forrest knows the truth.
