Australia warned against rubbing shoulders with Putin at G20
Smyrnov said the special tribunal was needed because while the International Criminal Court hears war crimes such as torture, executions and rape, he understood it did not have jurisdiction to investigate the original crime of aggression in invading Ukraine.
Loading
“This is the mother of all crimes … it gives rise to all other international crimes.”
Asked what his message was for Australia, with both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Putin set to attend the G20 summit in Bali, Smyrnov said the “civilised world” cannot repeat the mistakes of the past.
“There was not enough courage in the civilised world to condemn and recognise the 2008 aggression against Georgia, there was not enough courage in the civilised world to condemn the 2014 aggression against Ukraine and also in 2022 when the aggression escalated,” he said.
“The time has come for courage and responsible action by key politicians of the world to refer to what takes place in Ukraine by its true name. It’s time to call a spade a spade,” he said.
Loading
In a statement provided to this masthead, Albanese said he “visited Kyiv and I will also visit Bali, because that’s what good leadership is all about – showing up and standing up for Australian interests and Australian values”.
“The G20 is bigger than any individual, and if Australia has a seat at the table, we should take it,” he said. “It’s an important event for our friends in Indonesia to be hosting and I don’t believe that we should allow such an important international institution to be undermined.”
Albanese said Australia was supporting Ukraine’s case against Russia in the International Court of Justice and was among the 43 states that referred the situation in Ukraine to the ICC.
Russian-installed officials in four occupied regions of Ukraine in recent days reported huge majorities in favour of joining Russia, in referendums which were widely denounced as shams.
Loading
Foreign Minister Penny Wong revealed that Australia would impose sanctions on an additional 28 Russian-appointed officials to “reinforce Australia’s strong objection to the actions of President Putin and those carrying out his orders”.
“The areas of Ukraine currently occupied by Russian forces are the sovereign territory of Ukraine. No sham referendum will change this,” she said.
Australia’s largest technology company, Atlassian, announced on Saturday it was ceasing business in Russia, citing the Kremlin’s compulsion on even small business customers in the country to support the “appalling” invasion. The move, which comes after months of pressure from Ukrainian-Australian activists, follows steps by Atlassian to donate money to Ukraine and limit its work in Russia.