<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>338680</docID> <postdate>2025-02-20 16:53:52</postdate> <headline>Australia supports Ukraine as Trump trash talks leader</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-295758" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20230713001819809770-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="601" /></p> <caption>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in 2023. (EPA PHOTO)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Tess Ikonomou</strong> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>Australia is diverging from the US on how peace should be achieved in Ukraine after Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on its leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy.</strong></p> <p>Mr Trump trashed the Ukrainian president as a "dictator without elections" and falsely claimed Kyiv had "started" the Russian war.</p> <p>The US president incorrectly stated Mr Zelenskiy's approval rating was down to four per cent and implied Ukraine had stolen billions of dollars from his country.</p> <p>In a strong rebuke, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said Australia needed to back Ukraine.</p> <p>"The thought that President Zelenskiy or the Ukrainian people started this battle, or somehow they were responsible for the war, is just wrong," he told 2GB radio.</p> <p>"But Australia should stand strong and proud with the people of Ukraine. It's a democracy, and this is a fight for civilisation.</p> <p>"Vladimir Putin is a murderous dictator and we shouldn't be giving him an inch."</p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reaffirmed the nation's support.</p> <p>"Australia stands with Ukraine in their struggle, which is a struggle not just for their own national sovereignty, but it's the struggle to stand up for the international rule of law," he told reporters in Whyalla on Thursday.</p> <p>Asked if Mr Zelenskiy was a dictator, Defence Minister Richard Marles replied "no".</p> <p>"We will continue to support Ukraine so that they are able to resolve this conflict on their terms," he told Sky News.</p> <p>Australia has committed more than $1.5 billion in aid to Ukraine since Russia's invasion on February 24, 2022.</p> <p>Asked if the government was considering sending Australian peacekeepers to Ukraine, Mr Marles said it wasn't being discussed.</p> <p>"There's a lot of water to go under the bridge before we get to that point," he said.</p> <p>In a pointed threat to the Ukrainian president, Mr Trump warned he had "better move fast" to reach a peace deal with Russia "or he is not going to have a country left".</p> <p>Professor Peter Dean, from the University of Sydney's United States Studies Centre, said Australia needed to call out the rhetoric when it was "blatantly false".</p> <p>"He's (Trump) trying to get the US out of supporting Ukraine and an ongoing, never-ending war and he's trying to get the Europeans to pay for European security," he told AAP.</p> <p>"We've also got to wait and see how it actually plays out on the ground."</p> <p>Prof Dean said while Australia and the US were very closely aligned on a lot of things, Mr Trump was pursuing an "America First" foreign policy.</p> <p>"What we're seeing here is a bit of a divergence between the Donald Trump view of the world and the bipartisan Australian consensus on international policy in the world," he said.</p> <p>Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations co-chair Kateryna Argyrou slammed Mr Trump's comments as "shocking and appalling".</p> <p>"President Trump appears to be captured by Russian propaganda, which is a very dangerous situation for Ukraine," she said.</p> <p>"His comments are so utterly divorced from reality and are a huge concern.</p> <p>"Ukraine is entitled to its sovereignty and independence and needs its rightful seat at the negotiating table."</p> <p>In less than a week since Mr Trump had a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the US president's rhetoric has strained relations with European nations who disagree with his approach to end the conflict.</p> </body>