Ukraine embassy to reopen as coalition ends ‘costly exercise’ of prolonged government shutdown

Australia will have spent up to around $750,000 to keep its embassy space in Ukraine empty by the time the doors reopen next month – but the Coalition says the delay has been costly beyond mere meaning financial.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced from kyiv on Wednesday that Ambassador Paul Lehmann, appointed 12 months ago, would return to the capital in January.

“We have always said that we will open this embassy when we can, when it is safe. And I’m so happy that we’ve gotten to the point where we can reopen the embassy,” she said.

Ambassadors and staff had been based outside Poland since March 2022, when Australia, like most other countries, closed its operations in kyiv following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Pressure had been building for years on the government to reopen the embassy, ​​especially since Canada – whose embassy is in the same building as Australia – had resumed operations in May 2022 .

The Coalition, which pledged in August to reopen the embassy immediately if it wins the next election, welcomed Senator Wong’s announcement but questioned why it had taken so long.

Foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said the delay had put Australia behind for more than two years in briefings, intelligence and information.

“One has to ask whether this is intransigence or incompetence on the part of the Albanian government that could not make this happen sooner,” he said.

“Penny Wong herself seems unable to explain why it took so long or what changed to allow decisions to be made.”

When asked why Canada was able to safely reopen its embassy more than two years ago, Senator Wong replied: “Canada is a member of NATO.”

“There are obviously agreements as NATO partners that we are not part of as a non-NATO partner,” she said.

“So we’re very happy that we worked on the arrangements and everything that we needed to do to keep our population safe.”

She said there had been “a lot of coordination” with Ottawa and expressed gratitude for their help.

DFAT Secretary Jan Adams told Senate Estimates last month that Australia had negotiated with Canada to gain “access to real-time security intelligence” that NATO members had access to.

Senator Wong said she would not look at “every aspect of the security arrangements”.

“We are now at a point where the advice that I and the secretary are giving is that the arrangements are such that it is safe to do it, that we think we can do it responsibly. We are very grateful to our partners for working with us to make this happen,” she said.

The costs involved in the prolonged embassy closure were revealed in the last two rounds of Senate estimates.

In August, Australia paid $518,742 to Global Affairs Canada to rent its embassy space. With an annual fee of around $250,000, renewed every March, when the embassy reopens, the total cost would likely reach close to $750,000.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been contacted for the exact total cost.

Officials also told senators earlier this year that more than $200,000 was spent in 2023-24 to allow the ambassador to make four visits and his deputy one to Ukraine, the bulk of which was intended to ensure security.

Meanwhile, the cost of housing the ambassador and deputy head of mission in Warsaw turned out to be at least $148,000 per year.

About $64,000 was spent in 2023-24 to rent an office in Warsaw, before the ambassador moved to the Australian embassy in Poland.

Senator Birmingham said it had been an “incredibly pointless exercise”.

“But the biggest problem here is not just wasted money or costs. It is of course the loss of intelligence analysis and the time it took to have someone on the ground throughout this war, and I am convinced that if the government had had better advice throughout, first-hand analysis from a hard-working incumbent ambassador, then They might not have made certain mistakes – like burying the Taipan helicopters rather than gifting them to Ukraine, or dragging out the feet in making other financial commitments”, he declared.

With Senator Wong in kyiv on Wednesday, Ambassador Lehmann would not question whether it had been frustrating not to be in Ukraine for most of the first year of his term.

“It is always an honor and a privilege to be an ambassador. And I’m excited to…mark a new chapter in my mission,” he said.

“This is a continuation because we have always worked to support Ukraine, to stand with Ukraine, but now with this announcement we will be able to do it in a little more visible way here in kyiv.

“But this is a continuation of our commitment and support…I think I will have to change some of my habits of doing things remotely, but it will come back very naturally and quickly, I’m sure.”

Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, alongside Senator Wong in Kyiv, said the decision to reopen the embassy was an “important factor for deepening bilateral relations.”

“Of course, this is a very important step. It is also a show of solidarity with Ukraine,” he said.

“We welcome this decision and look forward to further expanding the presence of diplomatic participants from other countries.”

In kyiv, Senator Wong also revealed Australia’s support for Ukraine would exceed $1.5 billion, announcing a series of new measures to help the ongoing fight against Russia’s illegal invasion .

Some $66 million will be provided to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Another ten million dollars will go to Ukraine’s Energy Support Fund, which provides heat and electricity to civilians.

And after meeting with families from Save Ukraine, a community organization that supports vulnerable families and children affected by the conflict, she pledged $80,000 to facilitate their work.

This brings Australia’s total financial support to Ukraine since the 2022 Russian invasion to more than $1.5 billion.

“Ukraine’s fight against Russia has consequences for our national security and the security of the Indo-Pacific region,” she said.

“Today and every day, Australia stands with Ukraine against Russian aggression.”