Albanese stands by Ukraine but won't rule out photo with Putin
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he will consider the wishes of his Chinese hosts about the prospect of a summit 'family photo' that could include Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has left open the possibility of joining Russian President Vladimir Putin in a group photograph at the upcoming APEC summit in China, despite condemning the invasion of Ukraine as illegal and immoral. Albanese is currently in the Philippines for the ASEAN summit, where he will meet regional leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump before traveling to China for the APEC meeting.
He welcomed the prospect of talks between Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of APEC, emphasizing the importance of constructive dialogue and de-escalation of conflict worldwide. Albanese reiterated his commitment to standing firmly behind Ukraine, acknowledging the struggle of its people as a fight for international rule of law.
He played down the prospect of a direct interaction with Putin at APEC but pledged to make Australia's position clear if the two leaders found themselves in the same room. Albanese also confirmed Australia's continued support for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, despite concerns that the agreement with the Philippines could counter China's growing military influence.
He emphasized that the deal is about supporting sovereignty for every country, as the majority of Australia's trade goes through the contested waters.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
