Dutton says as PM he would ‘lobby’ Donald Trump to reconsider Ukraine stand
- Written by: Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra
Peter Dutton says if he became prime minister he would lobby US President Donald Trump “to reconsider his position” on Ukraine.
The opposition leader, who previously rejected Trump’s description of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator”, has gone further in distancing himself from Trump after the shouting match in the Oval Office, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky.
“I was disappointed by the scenes out of the White House,” Dutton told a Monday news conference. “I believe that President Zelensky requires the support of European countries, of the United States, and countries like Australia as well.”
He said the United States has been “an incredibly important ally” for Australia and he regarded it as a reliable one.
But making decisions in Australia’s best interests sometimes meant “standing up to your friends and to those traditional allies because our views have diverged.
"In relation to Ukraine, the Australian view at the moment is different to the United States, and my job as prime minister will be to lobby the president of the United States to reconsider his position in relation to Ukraine. Because I think it’s in all of our collective best interests if we’re able to provide support to Ukraine, and that’s something I’m dedicated to.”
Dutton’s criticism of Trump is at odds with some in his base and some right wing commentators, who are wedded to Trump, right or wrong.
Unlike policy on the Middle East, where bipartisanship has broken, both sides of Australian politics have remained firmly behind Ukraine from the start of the war. There is no sign of the bipartisanship being under pressure.
Australia has supplied Ukraine with about $1.5 billion worth of assistance, of which $1.3 billion is military aid.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking at the start of Monday’s cabinet’s meeting, reiterated Australia’s strong backing for the embattled country in its war with Russia.
“We regard this as an issue of doing what’s right, but also what is in Australia’s national interest.
"The brave people of Ukraine, led so extraordinarily by President Zelensky, are fighting not just for their national sovereignty and for their democracy. They are fighting for the international rule of law.
"And it is an easy choice that Australia has made.”
On Sunday Treasurer Jim Chalmers said “I think President Zelensky is a hero”.
Dutton on Monday used similar language. “President Zelensky is a modern-day hero. He’s a war hero and he deserves support.”
On another front – Australia’s bid to avoid the US tariffs on aluminium and steel – while there is bipartisanship, the opposition is from time to time critical of the government’s handling of the issue.
Shadow finance minister Jane Hume said on Monday: “The Coalition wholeheartedly supports the government’s efforts to make sure that these tariffs are not imposed by the US.
"We would hope that the government will pull out all stops here in order to make sure that Australia’s national interests, our economic interests, are protected. I do note that Anthony Albanese is the only member of the Quad, which is one of our most important diplomatic relationships with the US, that hasn’t met directly with Donald Trump yet.”
The new tariffs are due to come into effect on March 12.
Australia has been further alarmed by an article[1] published late last week by Trump’s trade advisor, Peter Navarro.
Navarro wrote: “Consider Australia. Its heavily subsidised smelters operate below cost, giving them an unfair dumping advantage, while Australia’s close ties to China further distort global aluminium trade”.
“Australia and Canada represent frontal assaults on our aluminium markets.”
