<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>339985</docID> <postdate>2025-03-09 13:23:15</postdate> <headline>Australia to send official to Ukraine defence talks</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-339986" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20250309180807196667-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="601" /></p> <caption>The prime minister said he'd spoken to the UK leader about a potential peacekeeping role in Ukraine. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Tess Ikonomou</strong> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>Anthony Albanese says Australia will send a "senior representative" to a meeting of European defence leaders in Paris as he considers sending peacekeepers as part of ending the war in Ukraine.</strong></p> <p>The prime minister on Sunday said he'd had a "very constructive discussion" with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer the previous evening about Australia potentially contributing to a "coalition of the willing for Ukraine".</p> <p>Mr Albanese said the government will send a senior representative to France for the meeting between Europe's top five military powers on Tuesday, to discuss "going forward".</p> <p>"Both of us, both of our nations, are very clear about our support for Ukraine," he told reporters in Canberra.</p> <p>"You can't have peacekeeping forces without having peace. So moving forward, though, it is important that planning be put in place and Australia will participate in that meeting."</p> <p>Asked whether he discussed sending Australian troops with his UK counterpart, Mr Albanese said it was too early.</p> <p>"I certainly have said very clearly, publicly, repeatedly, that we would give consideration to participating in any peacekeeping mission in the Ukraine," he said.</p> <p>The prime minister said he also discussed the AUKUS partnership with Mr Starmer, under which Australia is set to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.</p> <p>Australia has committed more than $1.5 billion in aid to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion more than three years ago.</p> <p>France's defence minister will host his counterparts from the UK, Germany, Italy and Poland following the decision from the US to suspend military aid to Ukraine.</p> </body>