Press conference, NATO Leaders' Summit, Washington DC

Subject/s: NATO Summit; Indo-Pacific Four; Australia’s additional support for Ukraine; US Presidential Election; Peter Dutton. 

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: This morning, we had a meeting with the other members of the Indo Pacific Four – Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand. These countries are amongst the countries of the world with whom we share the greatest strategic alignment. And so, it was a critical opportunity to speak with them about the shared challenges that we face in the world, but particularly in the Indo-Pacific. And of course, it's on this basis that we've engaged with NATO. When we saw on the eve of Russia's invasion of Ukraine a no limits agreement signed between Russia and China, in that moment, in a transformative way, a war in eastern Europe became completely relevant to the Indo-Pacific, to Australia. Because the lessons that will be drawn from that war, good or bad, are lessons that are going to shape the region in which we live. And that is a feeling that every member of the Indo-Pacific Four has. 

So we were very honoured today to be able to meet with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. Today, we announced the $250 million package in support of Ukraine. This is the largest package of support that we have announced in support of Ukraine to date. It focuses on integrated air and missile defence, it includes ground to air weapons systems, it includes anti-tank weapon systems and as well as that, a range of munitions. And we will continue to support Ukraine, this will not be the last package that we announce. We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to resolve this conflict on its own terms, because that is profoundly important in terms of the maintenance of the global rules-based order. But we're also pleased to be able to participate in our engagement with NATO proper. And we felt, I think, amongst all of us a sense of enormous warmth in the way in which we were received, in the way in which member states of NATO really see an interconnectedness between what is happening in Europe and what is happening in the Indo-Pacific. At its heart, what NATO stands for and what we as the IP4 stand for is the maintenance of a global rules-based order, an order which sees nations resolve disputes not by reference to might and power, but by reference to the rule of international law. That fundamental principle exists in the North Atlantic, but it exists in the Indo-Pacific as well. And so there is much for us to cooperate upon. And certainly we look forward to an ongoing engagement with NATO on that basis.

JOURNALIST: What was the response from President Zelenskyy today with that announcement and did he ask for anything else from the group? 

MARLES: Firstly, there was an enormous sense of gratitude from President Zelenskyy, as there has been from Ukraine from the very beginning of this crisis, from the very beginning of our support for Ukraine. When I was in Ukraine in April, and at that point we were announcing a $100 million package, there was definitely a sense of gratitude then. And in terms of going forward, we continue to have a dialogue with the government of Ukraine about how we can best assist. We talked about that today. And we'll continue to work with them on how we can contribute in the future and we certainly need to contribute.

JOURNALIST: He didn't press the grouping for any additional assistance in a more immediate sense? 

MARLES: No. But I mean, what there was from all four of us was a clear commitment that we stand with Ukraine for as long as this is going to take Ukraine to resolve this conflict on its terms. And so, the basis upon which we were having this conversation was that we would continue to be there to provide support. So that's something which is very much understood by Ukraine. What matters then is we’ve got an effective way of engaging in dialogue with Ukraine about what their needs are, and that dialogue is absolutely happening. 

JOURNALIST: What was the message from President Biden when he stopped by and spoke to the IP4?

MARLES: I think there was a sense of appreciation from President Biden about the role that all four countries are playing in maintaining the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. We are all allies and partners of the United States. We greatly, obviously appreciate the role that America is playing and that the Biden Administration, particularly has been playing in its engagement in the Indo-Pacific. And certainly we made that clear and what we said to President Biden is that in the last few years we have seen an amazing degree of engagement from America in our part of the world, and that is so important in terms of our national interest, and that was a sentiment that was felt across all four of us. And I think from President Biden's perspective, there was a reciprocal sense of gratitude about the role that we're playing in partnering with America, in the underpinning the global rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.

JOURNALIST: It seems like the mood of the week has been dictated a lot by how the US election will affect Ukraine. I know Zelenskyy himself said we’re basically all just waiting for November. What have you picked up on that front and are you more or less confident now about whether US support will endure beyond the election? 

MARLES: Obviously, what plays out in America is a matter for the American people. And all of us understand that. I mean, one of the things that characterises NATO, and certainly characterises the countries in the IP4 is democracy and we get that what underpins democracy is allowing each country to participate in those processes on their own terms. We've seen American leadership in the world play out under republican presidencies and democratic presidencies. It's clearly an important part of what needs to happen going forward. But I think we all see that as being something that will happen. And as we have said, as Australia has said on many occasions, we have a sense of confidence about the relationship that we'll have with America, irrespective of the outcome in November. And I think that's a confidence that is shared by others who are here this week. 

JOURNALIST: Deputy Prime Minister, you mentioned that this $250 million package for Ukraine announced today is the single biggest package announced by an Australian Government for Ukraine. Why this package now and how much of what Australia is giving Ukraine has been asked for directly by President Zelenskyy. 

MARLES: Well, in terms of the second part of the question first – this is very much a package which is in response to what Ukraine has been seeking. I mean, to go back to an answer earlier, we have a really effective dialogue with the government of Ukraine about what their needs are. And if you look at air and missile defence, which President Zelenskyy spoke about today, that has been a consistent message on the part of Ukraine. And so, that has been a feature of the last two packages that we've announced; the package I announced in April and the package that we've announced today, here in Washington. So it is very much a response. But look, I think in terms of the quantum of this package, what is clear to us is that the war in Ukraine is one which is enduring, and it's going to require people to stay the course and we really understand that. And the sense that we've got from our engagement with Ukraine, as we have in our engagement with the member states of NATO is that now's the time, in fact, for all of us to be stepping up to make sure that we are there for Ukraine over the long term. And so I think really, you can take that as being what underpins the quantum of the package that we've announced today. But as I say, this is not the end, we will continue to be there in support of Ukraine and that's reflected in the fact that we have an ongoing conversation with Ukraine about how we can best help them. And there'll be more we'll be doing in the future.

JOURNALIST: Just a separate question on your conversations with US leaders, counterparts this week. Peter Dutton has said that the PM’s handling of Julian Assange’s return, including his phone call and sending Stephen Smith and Kevin Rudd with him, has damaged the relationship with the US, and that that's been raised with him in his conversations with people here in DC this week. Is there any validity, do you see, in those concerns and has anything along those lines being raised with you in your conversations? 

MARLES: No. Not at all. And I think I'm in a position of having had as much engagement with the US administration, as literally anyone in the country. I can absolutely say that firstly, we welcome our ability to engage with the United States in relation to Mr Assange and his case, but it has had no impact on our relationship with the United States. And in fact, the conversations that we've had with US leaders this week just reaffirm the equities that we have with the United States, the degree to which we are working so closely together – as closely as we have ever worked together, which is a significant thing to say given the closeness of this relationship over decades – so it's simply not right to make that claim. We have as many equities in place now with the United States as we have had and we are working closely with the United States in both of our commitments to maintaining the global rules-based order.