AUSTRALIA (Commonwealth union) _Australia will impose more financial and travel restrictions on Russia as a result of the Russian government’s decision to sign treaties annexing four of the nation’s occupied territories.
28 separatists, ministers, and officials who were chosen by Russia and who, in the government’s opinion, broke international law by organizing “fake” referendums, disseminating false information, and terrorizing Ukrainians would be the target of the new penalties.
In a key speech held in the Kremlin on Friday, President Vladimir Putin said that the provinces of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia would be merged into Russia. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong referred to the action as unlawful and claimed that it lacked legal support. She added in a statement that the new restrictions “reinforce Australia’s strong opposition to the acts of President Putin and those carrying out his commands.” The Foreign Affairs Minister added: “Ukraine’s sovereign territory includes the regions that Russian forces are presently occupying. A fraudulent referendum won’t change this.”
Australia has also submitted an intervention in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Russia, joining states like Denmark, New Zealand, and Spain.
Ukraine has brought a case against Russia before the UN’s top court on the basis that it falsely justified its invasion by asserting that it was safeguarding Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine from genocide. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded that Russia must halt its invasion of Ukraine since the Kremlin’s justification for the war is unsupported by any evidence.
Russia has ignored the order.
Attorney General Mark Dreyfus stated, “We stand with Ukraine in taking these proceedings against Russia before the International Court of Justice.” The integrity of the Genocide Convention and our commitment to preserving fundamental principles of international law are demonstrated by our intervention. Wide-ranging sanctions had previously been imposed by Australia on a number of Russian institutions and key Russian figures, including President Putin.
