Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha welcomed in Kyiv his Australian counterpart Penny Wong on the first bilateral visit to Ukraine by an Australian Foreign Minister in a decade. The sides held detailed talks, the key topic of which was Australia's additional support for Ukraine.

The Ministers agreed to resume the full operation of the Australian Embassy in Ukraine. Andrii Sybiha expressed his belief that such step would further strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

The Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expressed his deep gratitude to Australia for its military assistance, in particular the recent provision of 49 Abrams tanks and 14 boats. He reported that the amount of Australian assistance totaled more than $1 billion, of which $880 million was military aid.

The Minister briefed his counterpart on the urgent needs of the Ukrainian army and requested additional military support, including Australian Bushmaster armoured vehicles and other weapons. Andrii Sybiha also suggested that Ukraine's needs should be taken into account when decommissioning military equipment in service with the Australian Defence Force.

The heads of the Ukrainian and Australian Ministries of Foreign Affairs paid considerable attention to the threats posed by deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea.

‘Supporting Ukraine is in Australia's direct interest, as it strengthens stability not only in Europe but also in the Indo-Pacific region.  We must increase pressure on the aggressor state and increase the cost of war for the Kremlin,’ Andrii Sybiha stressed.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine invited the Australian side to take part in the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Italy next year. He emphasized that Ukraine would welcome the involvement of Australia and Australian companies in the reconstruction.

Andrii Sybiha also welcomed Australia's decision to transfer 50 million euros to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as a contribution of 6.39 million USD to the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine. The Minister expressed his sincere gratitude to every Australian who supports Ukraine in its fight for freedom and justice.