Russia says it’s not irrational after Australian defence minister calls president an ageing dictator amid tensions over Ukraine
Russia’s ambassador to Australia, Alexey Pavlovsky, hits back at claims by defence minister, Peter Dutton, that Vladimir Putin is an irrational dictator. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPRussia’s ambassador to Australia, Alexey Pavlovsky, hits back at claims by defence minister, Peter Dutton, that Vladimir Putin is an irrational dictator. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP@danielhurstbne
Russia’s ambassador has hit back at the Australian defence minister, Peter Dutton, for branding Vladimir Putin an ageing and irrational dictator, amid growing tensions over the buildup of more than 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine’s border.
The ambassador to Australia, Alexey Pavlovsky, said if that was “the level of analysis informing Australian policy then it is definitely a worrying sign” and argued that some western politicians had been “convinced by their own propaganda”.
As concerns grow in the west about the Russian president’s intentions, Pavlovsky also suggested that new sanctions against the country’s officials – which Australia has not ruled out – would have no effect on Moscow’s position but would come at a “high price” to Australia.
Addressing the media for more than an hour in a hotel conference room in Canberra on Friday, Pavlovsky mounted a defence of Russia’s position, denied the troop presence was a sign of aggression and at times bemoaned the quality of Australian journalism and policy-making.
“Australians definitely are entitled to more meaningful understanding of the situation than comic book-style propaganda like Batman versus Joker – I mean, liberal democracies versus autocracies,” he said.
Pavlovsky sought to counter the idea that Russia was irrational for being concerned about the expansion of Nato and its push to prevent Ukraine from ever joining the military alliance.
“There is a campaign trying to portray our concerns as irrational,” he said.
“I understand that the propaganda machine in the west is very powerful … We see now that the politicians have come to be convinced and hypnotised by their own propaganda.”
Dutton had on Thursday branded Putin an ageing dictator who is becoming “more and more irrational”.
The defence minister argued the international community must “put as much pressure on Russia as possible” to prevent a “devastating” invasion of Ukraine.
Western countries have voiced increasing concern about Russia’s buildup of troops near the Ukraine border but opinions differ on if, or when, Putin plans a full-scale military invasion.
Russia has demanded security guarantees and a promise that Ukraine never be admitted to Nato, which the US has rejected. Ukrainian leaders have said they don’t believe an invasion is imminent and have called for calm.
The Australian government says it is not planning to send troops or military assets to the region in the event of a conflict, but it has offered assistance to help Ukraine fend off cyber attacks.
On Monday the Australian government urged any Australian citizens to leave Ukraine immediately due to the deteriorating security situation.
Australia is considering supplying extra liquefied natural gas to Europe, after the US and the UK raised fears the continent’s reliance on Russian gas makes it vulnerable in the growing standoff with Putin.
The US upped the ante with a declaration that an invasion would endanger the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, which is to carry gas from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea.
“I want to be very clear: if Russia invades Ukraine one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward,” the US state department spokesperson Ned Price told National Public Radio. “I’m not going to get into the specifics. We will work with Germany to ensure it does not move forward.”
Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said she would prefer to “continue the dialogue” with Russia but not at any price.
“We need to make it completely clear that renewed military aggression against Ukraine would have massive consequences for Russia,” she said.