Australia open to sending peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of international coalition

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to participate in a phone call with world leaders tomorrow night to discuss the possibility of sending peacekeepers to Ukraine as part of the "coalition of the willing."

The call, organized by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, will also include the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This follows a meeting of leaders in London earlier this month and a gathering of defence officials in Paris earlier this week.

Over 30 countries have been involved in talks about how to support Ukraine, including the potential deployment of a multi-nation peacekeeping force should a ceasefire with Russia be achieved.

Sources confirmed to the ABC that Prime Minister Albanese is expected to join the call on March 15 night, Caliber.Az reports.

He remains open to considering a request to send Australian troops as part of a peacekeeping force.

However, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has opposed the idea, criticizing the Prime Minister for what he calls "shooting from the hip."

“It just doesn’t make any sense... Our job is to take care of our country and make sure we are safe in our region,” Dutton told reporters on Friday. “We have supported Ukraine from day one... But not with troops on the ground. This was a thought bubble by the Prime Minister.”

In response, Albanese emphasized that Dutton no longer supported Ukraine.

"[We] did have a bipartisan position, it appears that Mr Dutton has walked away from that. That's a decision for him, but we stand for Ukraine," Albanese said.

The situation remains uncertain regarding whether the United States would offer any security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a ceasefire agreement. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed concerns over a proposed 30-day ceasefire deal with Ukraine but has not ruled out the possibility of a deal.

US President Donald Trump called Putin’s response "very promising," although he added that it was "not complete." Trump stated that he was prepared to engage directly with Putin to continue discussions.

On Monday, the Russian embassy in Australia issued a warning, stating that "joining the so-called coalition of the willing would entail grave consequences."

"Western boots on the ground are unacceptable for Russia, and we will not remain passive observers," the embassy's statement read.

In reply, Foreign Minister Penny Wong asserted that Australia would not be "intimidated" by Russia's threats.