Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson have used a virtual meeting to caution Russia against invading Ukraine, warning any escalation in aggression would be a “massive mistake with a stark humanitarian cost”.
The two prime ministers met virtually on Thursday morning Australia time to discuss their concerns about Russia.
While Russian authorities say they are pulling troops back from the Ukrainian border and are playing down claims they are preparing to invade, Ukraine intelligence shows no evidence of Russian pullback.
Ukraine Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Wednesday until Russia withdrew all troops, military hardware and weapons from the border, tensions would remain high.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said while Moscow had said it was ready to continue diplomatic efforts, there had not been any ground de-escalation.
A spokesperson for Mr Morrison said the prime ministers had used their phone call to discuss their concerns.
“They emphasised their unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders,” the spokesperson said.
“They agreed the need for de-escalation and underscored that any further Russian incursion in Ukraine would be a massive strategic mistake and have a stark humanitarian cost.”
The two leaders used their virtual meeting to also discuss their shared commitment to promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
“They agreed that, together with partners, they would ensure a free, open, inclusive and prosperous region,” Mr Morrison’s spokesperson said.
“In that context, the UK committed £25 million ($A47m) to strengthen regional resilience in areas including cyberspace, state threats and maritime security. This complements Australia’s deep and longstanding involvement in regional security.”
Both leaders expressed their “grave concerns” about “credible reports of human rights violations in Xinjiang” as well as the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Myanmar.
“They expressed grave concerns about the situation in Myanmar and called for the immediate cessation of violence against civilian populations, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, and unhindered humanitarian access,” Mr Morrison’s spokesperson said.
“(They also) called on China to protect the rights, freedoms and high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong.
“Leaders further underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and expressed support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite and as an observer or guest where it is.”
The prime ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the AUKUS security pact between Australia, the UK and the US during the virtual meeting.
“(They) expressed their determination to continue to work closely together in lock-step with (United States) President (Joe) Biden, to make AUKUS a success and looked forward to the next set of trilateral discussions at the end of the month in Australia,” the PM’s spokesperson said.
During the call, the leaders also committed to “deepening co-operation on online safety and security”, and reaffirmed their individual commitments to net zero by 2050.
The prime ministers used the meeting to recommit to help build a more responsive and resilient global health system, with a sustainably funded World Health Organisation at is core.
