Australia joins ‘drone coalition’ to support Ukraine

ISTANBUL

Australia on Thursday announced to join the “drone coalition” to provide drones to Ukraine which has been at war with Russia since 2022.

“This is a really important opportunity for us to continue making our contribution to the effort to have Ukraine stay the course and be able to resolve this conflict on its terms,” Defense Minister Richard Marles, alongside his British counterpart Grant Shapps, told a news conference in Canberra.

Australia and the UK signed a new defense and security pact where Marles announced Canberra’s decision to join the UK and Latvia in providing drones to Kyiv.

“Drones are a new factor in that war,” Shapps remarked.

The British defense chief said investments in drones had a “potential to bring huge technological improvements and advances in drone technology to our home markets as well for defense and for civilian purposes.”

“Australia and the UK have signed a refreshed Defense and Security Cooperation Agreement, reflecting a renewed focus on the defense partnership between our two nations,” Marles said on X.

“As the world becomes more complex and uncertain, we must modernize our most important partnerships,” he added.

Australia and the UK are also part of a trilateral defense pact with the UK – known as AUKUS – under which Canberra is expected to get three nuclear-powered submarines.

Canberra has also joined the UK and the US in recent air strikes against Yemen’s Houthis in the Red Sea.