Television Interview, Channel 9

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The Hon Richard Marles MP

Deputy Prime Minister

Minister for Defence

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dpm.media@defence.gov.au

02 6277 7800

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12 July 2024

Subject/s: NATO Summit; Indo-Pacific Four; Australia’s additional support for Ukraine; US Presidential Election

JONATHAN KEARSLEY: Deputy Prime Minister significant day from Australia's perspective, $250 million for Ukraine. Why this decision? Why now? 

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER, RICHARD MARLES: Well, it is the largest commitment that we've made to Ukraine since the war in Ukraine began. It's focused on integrated air and missile defense but 250 million is a considerable contribution. We understand that this is going to be an enduring conflict. I think all of those countries here at NATO, all of us in the Indo Pacific Four understand the enduring nature of the conflict in Ukraine and so it's really important that country stand up in this moment. And that's why we've been very proud to make the announcement that we have today, and it builds on the announcements that we've made up until this point. Our military contribution now to Ukraine is around $1.1 billion but that doesn't end here we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes for them to resolve this conflict on their terms. 

JOURNALIST: You had time with the Indo Pacific Four and time with President Zelenskyy today and also time with US President Joe Biden seemed to be sharing a rather enjoyable moment as he grabbed your jacket on the floor inside of the NATO meeting today. What did you two talk about? What did he say to you? 

MARLES: Well, I think there was a real sense of appreciation on the part of President Biden about the role that Australia is playing in partnership with the United States, but also in partnership with Korea, Japan and New Zealand, in terms of underpinning the global rules based order in our part of the world. I mean it's under pressure and notions like freedom of navigation, which is so important for Australia as an island trading nation with an increasing reliance on trade as a part of our national income. It matters that that we are supporting our rules based order, and we partner with America and that and he was very grateful for that partnership. 

JOURNALIST: He's under the greatest pressure of his political career. How did his mood seem to you this morning?

MARLES: I think his mood was fine. And I mean, obviously, what plays out in America is a matter for the American people. 

JOURNALIST: But is it a concern for Australia, though? Would it be a concern not having Joe Biden as President of the United States of America? 

MARLES: Well, the American political system is a matter for Americans. I'm not going to comment on that. I simply make two points. The Alliance and American leadership in the world has persisted across multiple presidents over multiple decades. And in relation to this administration, we couldn't be happier with how we've been able to work with the Biden administration about its engagement in our part of the world in the Indo Pacific. I mean, we are really pleased with that and they have been enormously present throughout the Indo Pacific and we're very pleased with that partnership. And that was reflected in the comments that I made to President Biden, but that was also at the heart of the comments that he was making to us.

JOURNALIST: Australia has experienced its own political chaos over the course of more than a decade now or so. How do you view now what is taking place here in the United States, given the conjecture over an 81 year old President or the future being him, or a convicted felon? 

MARLES: Well, I fundamentally view it as a matter for the American people. So I'm not going to give a comment on it. America are close friends and well, it is a matter for the American people. And it's important that all of us are making that point. I mean, the point I would really make is this what what characterizes NATO, what characterizes the countries in the Indo Pacific Four is that we're all democracies. And part of being a democracy is being able to run your own democratic system within your own country, free from commentary from others. So I'm not about to engage in that. We are partnered with America, they are our closest ally, and they are the the cornerstone, really of both our foreign policy and our national security. We could not be happier with how that is proceeding now under the Biden administration. But it has been that way across administrations of both persuasions for multiple decades. And we're confident about the future.

JOURNALIST: And you're comfortable with US President Joe Biden remaining as the Democratic nominee.

MARLES: Well, again, it's not for me to make those observations. Joe Biden is a president with whom we have worked extremely well. And our engagements at NATO have been with President Biden and he has been completely present in all the discussions we've had and we couldn't have wanted for more in that respect. 

JOURNALIST: You spent some time at the White House too last night. How was that?

MARLES: That was pretty cool. It's an amazing place to go and see, obviously. 

JOURNALIST: Any selfies? 

MARLES: I've resisted the temptation to take selfies. But I mean, America does this stuff pretty well. And it was a really great opportunity to be there last night to be with the other leaders who are part of NATO. And certainly you know, sitting around that table, you get a sense of how important it is that the democracies of the world are working closely together,

JOURNALIST: Going back to the Indo Pacific Four and some of the issues you've been talking about today, is the concern what the war in Ukraine or what Russia did there, potentially how that could impact our region and the lessons that this region, the Indo Pacific could learn from that? What specifically do you mean by that? 

MARLES: Well, I think the moment that we saw China and Russia sign a No Limits agreement on the eve of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine, was really the moment when in a transformative sense of war in Eastern Europe became highly relevant to us. And I wouldn't have imagined that, you know, that that five years ago that that would be possible. But it is clear, given those relationships that are in place, that lessons will be learnt around the world from whatever happens in Ukraine. And what that really says is that, you know, Ukraine is on the front line of defending the global rules based system, you know, that system, which was brought into place after World War Two, which was really about countries not resolving their conflicts by power and might but rather by a set of rules. And that's really important for a country like Australia that that's how the world continues. I mean, we are deeply invested in that, as a smaller nation, as a country which is a trading nation which relies on our sea lines of communication, all of these are governed by international law and we need those laws to be maintained. And so Ukraine is on the front line of that, which is why it's highly relevant for us. And what I'm saying now is a view that I know is shared by New Zealand, by Korea and by Japan. That was what we were talking about this morning in our meeting of the Indo Pacific Four and it's why we value our engagement with NATO in this way, and why it was so good actually to meet with President Zelenskyy and to be able to offer the support we have. 

JOURNALIST: Your conversations you've had here in Washington, DC this week, do you get a sense that Donald Trump is a supporter of the global rules based order?

MARLES: We're confident about American leadership whatever happens in December, and we're confident about our Alliance and we're confident about the equities that we have within the Alliance. And we're confident about that, based on the interactions that we've had across the political spectrum in the United States. And we've seen practical manifestations of that, for example, the package of legislation that went through the Congress at the end of last year in support of AUKUS, which was supported by Democrats and Republicans alike, including Trump Republicans. So we are confident about whatever the future holds, irrespective of what occurs here in November. 

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