PM pledges ‘strongest action possible’ if Aussie killed
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sworn to take “the strongest action possible” if Russia has executed an Australian prisoner of war.
Australian officials are urgently trying to determine whether Melbourne teacher Oscar Jenkins has been killed by Russian forces in Ukraine after being captured while fighting for Ukraine.
“We call upon Russia to immediately confirm Oscar Jenkins’ status; we remain gravely concerned,” Albanese said in Tasmania on Wednesday.
“We’ll await the facts to come out but if there has been any harm caused to Oscar Jenkins, that’s absolutely reprehensible and the Australian government will take the strongest action possible.”
The 32-year-old was captured and shown in social media videos visibly bruised and shaken while being interrogated and beaten by a Russian-speaking captor.
The Russian ambassador to Australia has been hauled in over the issue as Australia seeks more information.
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The federal government has so far resisted expelling the ambassador, arguing it is better to keep channels of communication open.
“This has been a very difficult relationship for many years, including the downing of MH17 in 2014 as well as the illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said.
“Australia has maintained diplomatic relations with Russia through that period under different governments.
“However, we will consider all options once we have ascertained the facts and once we can verify what has actually occurred.”
Wong said Russia was expected to comply with international humanitarian law.
“We will look at the facts when they have been ascertained but I want to be clear, all options are on the table,” she said.
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The federal opposition is demanding the expulsion of the Russian ambassador if the reports are true.
Senator Simon Birmingham said if Russia had carried out an extrajudicial execution of a captured Australian citizen the Albanese government should respond in the strongest possible terms.
“Nothing less than the recalling of Australia’s ambassador to Russia and expulsion of Russia’s ambassador would be sufficient in such circumstances,” he said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton backed up on the view later on Wednesday.
“If there is confirmation that Oscar Jenkins has been killed, the government should take the strongest possible action – and that is the ambassador should be withdrawn and that the ambassador here in Australia should be sent packing,” he said.
Kyiv had “great sympathy” for fighters like Jenkins and sent its respects to his family, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, told the ABC.
“Russia has a deep-seated hatred of foreigners like Mr Jenkins, people who have made the responsible choice to stand up for the rule of law and freedom by supporting Ukraine,” he said, according to a translation.
Russian soldiers had no understanding or interest in the laws of war, retired major general and military strategist Gus McLachlan said.
“The Russian soldiers on the front line are brutal, many have been released from prisons,” he said.
“It’s highly likely Oscar was badly beaten at the time of his capture and he may simply have been neglected to a point where he died of either wounds or exposure or malnutrition.”
McLachlan said he thought it would have been in Russia’s interest to keep the Australian alive and use him as part of “information warfare”.
“Prisoner exchanges have a high profile and governments respond differently when they know individuals have been kept alive,” he added.
“On the other hand, the death toll of foreign volunteer fighters will send a message to any other Western volunteers who are either planning to join the fight or who are in the fight.”
