Jacqui Lambie (Tasmania, Jacqui Lambie Network) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to contribute. On 21 August 1991, when Russia had a very different leader, Ukraine declared its independence after centuries of occupation by other nations—most brutally by the former Soviet Union, who starved millions of Ukrainians to death in 1932 through to 1933.

Ukrainians were finally free.

In 1994, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons, because the US and the United Kingdom and Russia gave them security guarantees. How's that I going for you? In 2014, Russia then took Crimea.

The world kicked Russia out of the G8. Who cares? Russia doesn't! Then, in February 2022, Putin invaded Ukraine. We've done nothing to stop this—absolutely nothing! It was more of a shock to the rest of the world than it was to Ukrainians and to other countries that border Russia. Putin wants Russia to go back to the dark old ages of the Soviet Union, and that's how he wants his borders done; that's bloody rubbish! As the EU foreign policy chief put it last week, Europeans should 'all start learning Russian if Ukraine does not receive further support'. Key European allies say that Russia poses a direct threat to the European Union and that its massive defence spending shows that the Kremlin has 'a long-term plan for long-term aggression'. It's sitting in front of your face; wake up!

Our Prime Minister says it is in our national interest to back Ukraine. I agree, but there is so much more that this country could be doing to help Ukraine. The last time Ukraine got anything off us was last October—disgraceful! For a start, we can pump out more Bushmasters and give our old ones to Ukraine. We can also give them some Hawkeis, and we can take up Ukraine's invitation to learn how to specially manufacture drones at low cost. Isn't this what we're supposed to be doing with our partners out there? Seriously, your government is not doing enough to help Ukrainians and you need to step up to the plate.