Australia’s government will intervene to block the construction of a new Russian embassy in its capital Canberra, potentially ending a long-running clash between the two sides over a controversial land lease.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would introduce legislation on Thursday to cancel the Russian government’s lease on a block of land close to the Australian Parliament, where Moscow intended to build a new embassy. It’s expected to pass within 24 hours with bipartisan support, he said.
“The government has received very clear security advice as to the risk presented by a new Russian presence so close to Parliament House,” Albanese told a morning press conference in Canberra. Russia will still maintain its current embassy in the city, he added.
Albanese said his decision to legislate to cancel the lease had been taken as a consequence of the security advice presented to him. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said that while no decision had been made yet on what to do with the land, it wouldn’t be used for any future diplomatic presence.
The controversy over the site has been building since Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine in February 2022. Australia has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict, contributing more than A$688 million ($460 million) in assistance to the country to date.
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An Australian court earlier this month struck down an attempt by the local Canberra government to cancel the lease on the site for the new embassy, which would be located closer to the Parliament than the current site.
