Ukraine embassy to reopen as Coalition pans Government’s ‘costly exercise’ in sustained closure

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

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

“We’ve always said that we would open this Embassy when we were able to do so, when it was safe to do so. And I’m just so pleased that we have got to a point where we can reopen the embassy,” she said.

Ambassadors and staff had been based out of Poland since March 2022 when Australia, like most other nations, closed their Kyiv operations after Russia invaded Ukraine.

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

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

Foreign spokesman Simon Birmingham said the delay had put Australia on the backfoot for more than two years when it came to briefings, intelligence and information.

“You have to question whether it was intransigence or ineptitude on the part of the Albanese Government as to why they couldn’t make this happen sooner,” he said.

“Penny Wong herself seems unable to explain why it took so long or what it is that has changed to enable decisions.”

Asked why it had been safe for Canada to reopen their embassy more than two years ago, Senator Wong said “Canada is a NATO member”.

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

“So, we’re very pleased that we have worked through the arrangements and through all the things we had to do in order to assure security for our people.”

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

DFAT secretary Jan Adams told senate estimates last month that Australia had been negotiating with Canada to have “access to the real-time security intelligence” that NATO members had access to.

Senator Wong said she wouldn’t go through “every aspect of security arrangements”.

“We are at a point now where the advice to me and to the Secretary is that the arrangements are such that it is safe to do so, that we do feel we can do so responsibly. We’re very grateful to our partners for their, working with us to enable that to happen,” she said.

The costs involved in the embassy’s extended closure had been revealed during the last two rounds of senate estimates.

As of August, Australia had paid $518,742 to Global Affairs Canada to lease the space in their embassy. With an annual rate of about $250,000, renewing each March, by the time the embassy reopens the total cost would likely come close to $750,000.

The Department of Foreign Affairs was contacted to ascertain the exact total cost.

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

Meanwhile, the cost of housing the ambassador and deputy head of mission in Warsaw was revealed to be at least $148,000 a year.

About $64,000 had been spent in 2023-24 renting an office space in Warsaw, before the ambassador moved into the Australian embassy in Poland.

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

“But the bigger issue here is not just the wasted money or costs. It is of course the lost intelligence analysis, and time that came from having somebody on the ground throughout this war, and I’m confident that had the Government had better advice throughout, first hand analysis from a hard-working ambassador in place, then they wouldn’t have made perhaps some of the mistakes – such as burying the Taipan helicopters rather than offering them to Ukraine, or dragging their heels in making other financial commitments,” he said.

With Senator Wong in Kyiv on Wednesday, ambassador Lehmann would not be drawn on whether it had been frustrating to not be in Ukraine for most of the first year of his tenure.

“It’s always an honour and a privilege to serve as an ambassador. And I’m delighted to… mark a new chapter in my assignment,” he said.

“It’s a continuation because we have always worked to support Ukraine, to stand with Ukraine, but now with this announcement we’ll be able to do that in a bit more of a visible way here in Kyiv.

“But this is a continuation of our commitment and our support… I expect I will need to change some of my habits of doing things by remote means, but that will come back very naturally and swiftly, I’m sure.”

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

“Of course it is a very important step. Also, it is a show of solidarity with Ukraine,” he said.

“We welcome this decision and we’re looking forward to further expanding expansion of the diplomatic participants from other countries.”

In Kyiv, Senator Wong also revealed Australia’s support for Ukraine would surpass $1.5 billion as she announced a tranche of new measures to help the ongoing fight against Russia’s illegal invasion.

Some $66m will be provided to the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development to help Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction efforts.

A further $10m will go to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, which provides heat and electricity for civilians.

And, after meeting families at Save Ukraine, a community organisation supporting vulnerable families and children impacted by the conflict, she pledged $80,000 to facilitate their work.

It brings Australia’s total financial support of 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,” she said.

“Today and every day, Australia stands with Ukraine against Russia’s aggression.”