Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on ABC Radio that Canberra would not supply Kiev with Hawkei armored vehicles and Bushmaster armored personnel carriers because they are “not suitable” for Ukraine and will not help the Ukrainian military.
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On Monday, the Australian government announced a new A$110 million (about $74 million) military aid package to Ukraine. Into the help package did not include some of Ukraine’s key requests, namely Hawkei armored vehicles and additional Bushmaster armored personnel carriers.
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“There are a number of reasons why, in this case, sending equipment that will not provide better support to people in the war will not help those you are trying to help,” Albanese told ABC Radio, without specifying, however, why this particular technique is not suitable for Ukraine.
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Regarding criticism over the refusal to deliver these armored vehicles to Kyiv, the prime minister added that “it is easy to make a statement without studying the issue … Hawkei is not suitable.”
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Opposition leader and ex-Australian Home Secretary Peter Dutton said that the government’s refusal to provide Ukraine with Hawkei cars would damage Australia’s international reputation, and “if there are problems with the cars, then let them be solved in Ukraine.“
