Huge promise behind handshake between Anthony Albanian and Volodymyr Zenskyy

Anthony Albanese has promised the Ukrainian President Volodyymyr Zensky More tanks from Australia if he is confronted with pressure to apply further sanctions to Russia.

The meeting with the President of Ukraine was one of the different encounters with world leaders who had Albanian while on the sidelines of the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican in Rome on Sunday in Rome.

The prime minister also held a one-on-one meeting with European Union President Ursula von der Leyenwho increased the prospect of closer defense agreements between the EU and Australia.

Albanian told Zensky that Australia would offer more military equipment to Ukraine, because it is fighting the Russian invasion.

“We currently have tanks that are on the road, which is a very positive initiative,” he said during the meeting.

“The Russian illegal aggression must be resisted and we are very clear and unambiguously with Ukraine, and of course we have also called for peace.”

The Ukrainian president also called for more sanctions that would be placed on Russia by countries like Australia to maintain the pressure on Moscow.

“I am grateful for the extensive support of Australia, for the Abrams tanks that help our warriors defend Ukraine,” Zensky posted after the conversations on X.

More tanks from Australia are ‘On the way’ to Ukraine, Anthony Albanese has promised President Volodymyr Zensky, because the prime minister was encouraged to apply further sanctions to Russia

The prime minister was seen who was wearing an akubra in the inauguration mass (shown)

‘It’s a good thing that we have allies of different continents.

“Together we can really bring the current situation closer to peace by exerting pressure on Russia.”

While he was on the sidelines of the papal inauguration, Albanian also spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the British deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.

Albanese, however, had no one-on-one meeting with the American vice-president JD Vance, who also attended inauguration.

He was given the opportunity to talk to Pope Leo XIV after his inauguration, of which Albanian said it was a “warm discussion.”

The conversation took place after a number of world leaders were brought into the basilica to greet the pope after Mass.

“I spoke with him about my mother who would be, I am sure I would look from heaven with the greatest smile she has ever had,” Albanian told reporters.

“The fact that her son was on the inaugural mass of a pope in the Vatican was quite extraordinary.

Albanese was given the opportunity to speak with Pope Leo XIV after his inauguration, of which Albanian said it was a ‘warm discussion’ (photo)

“So for me it was also a very personal moment, and it was a personal discussion.”

Albanian, who raised Catholic in a flat in a housing committee in Sydney, often refers to his single mother and her influence on his life.

Security tires were raised during the discussions with the EU president after the inauguration, in which Mrs von der Leyen increased the idea of ​​defense agreements between Australia and the trade block, comparable to arrangements that already has with Japan and South Korea.

Albanese said that Australia had had defense agreements with EU countries such as Germany, but would consider Von der Leyen’s proposal.

‘We said that we were certainly interested in further involvement of support. But they are very early stages at the moment, “he told reporters in Rome.

“There was no detail further, it was really a claim that the values ​​of Europe were consistent with the values ​​of Australia.”

The discussions with Von der Leyen come when Australia tries to reach a trade agreement with the EU.

Federal front bencher Tanya Plibersek agreed that there had been a few ‘sticky points’.

“There are about a thousand names that want to limit the European Union, and they are Parmesan cheese, Fetta, Prosecco, a lot of names of food related to where they come from,” she told Sunrise program of Seven.

A trade agreement with the EU would open a huge market for Australian goods and services.

As a block, the EU was the third largest two -way trade partner in Australia in 2022/23. It is also the sixth largest export destination and the third largest export market for services.

Two-Way trade is appreciated at around $ 110 billion.