Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could address Australia’s parliament in the coming weeks, according to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
In the wake of announcing Australia would send 70,000 tonnes of coal to Ukraine to support the country against Russia’s invasion, Mr Morrison said he would “welcome” any opportunity for Mr Zelenskyy to speak to his Canberra colleagues.
Mr Zelenskyy has in recent weeks addressed the relevant houses of parliament in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Mr Morrison told 4BC Australia would continue to support Ukraine and warned Russia would pay a “high price” for its brutality.
“We’re in regular contact with the President and the Prime Minister and yesterday you know we made some significant announcements about further support,” Mr Morrison said.
“About 70,000xjmtzyw tonnes of coal which they need to power about a million homes … and we’ve put up further resources, some $20m extra into military support and $30m going into humanitarian aid.
“And then we’re providing the temporary protection visas for those who have come – 5000 people have already applied to come … 750 have arrived.
“We’re doing all the things that the President, the Prime Minister asked for me to do and we are very pleased to be able to do it and keep encouraging them and we would welcome any opportunity for him to speak to Australia”
Mr Morrison said on Sunday that Australia would continue to do what it could to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian community here.
“High costs” will continue to be imposed on Russia, he said.
“We are identifying new things that can be done every single day, with our partners, with those around the world to put the maximum cost, put the maximum pressure on the Putin government to withdraw from Ukraine and doing everything we can to continue to support the brave and courageous resistance that we’re seeing from the people of Ukraine and the government of Ukraine,” Mr Morrison said.
Any potential address from Mr Zelenskyy cames in the wake of his comments on Sunday that unless a diplomatic agreement is reached to end Russia’s invasion, it would mean “this is a third world war”.
