Australia evacuates Ukraine embassy, asks China to not remain ‘chillingly silent’ on crisis

Canberra’s embassy staff in Kiev was directed to a temporary office in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv

Calling Russia’s actions ‘utterly unacceptable’, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged China to speak up for Ukraine

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Ukrainian soldiers ride a tank during a military drill in the Kharkiv region: Photo: Ukrinform/dpa

Published: 10:12am, 13 Feb 2022

Australia said on Sunday it was evacuating its embassy in Kiev as the situation on the Russia-Ukraine border deteriorated quickly, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison calling on China to not remain “chillingly silent” on the crisis.

The United States and Europe stepped up their warnings of an imminent attack by Russia on Ukraine, while the Kremlin, jostling for more influence in post-Cold War Europe, rejected a joint EU-Nato diplomatic response to its demands to reduce tensions as disrespectful.

Australia’s embassy staff in Kiev was directed to a temporary office in Lviv, a city in western Ukraine, around 70km from the border with Poland, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said in a statement.

“We continue to advise Australians to leave Ukraine immediately by commercial means,” Payne said.

Morrison said that the situation “is reaching a very dangerous stage” and added that “the autocratic unilateral actions of Russia to be threatening and bullying Ukraine is something that is completely and utterly unacceptable.”

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