Australia is part of a push to suspend Russia from the United Nations Human Rights Council alongside the United States and the United Kingdom.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy used a UN address on Tuesday to call for the expulsion of Russia from the security council – one of five permanent members who hold veto powers – so it can’t block peace resolutions to the war being waged on his country.
But, there is no direct way to remove a permanent member of the security council under the UN charter.
However, Russia can be suspended from the UN Human Rights Council with a two-thirds vote in the General Assembly.
Australia has co-sponsored the resolution required, but a senior foreign affairs official says the push was in train just prior to its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has threatened to retaliate against states who vote for its suspension.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne says it’s extremely important Australia move in coordination with the US and partners against Russian aggression.
Speaking ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Brussels, Senator Payne said it was a critical time to stand up against authoritarianism.
“I’m looking forward to reinforcing the importance that no matter where in the world they behave like this, authoritarian states cannot be allowed to trample on the rights of democratic countries,” she said.
“(It’s) a critical time for partners like Australia and the US to be closely joined in response to the actions of authoritarian states that are untenable, unacceptable, complete illegal violations, wholesale violations of international law.”
During a hearing in Canberra, Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong pushed officials on why Russian diplomats were expelled from Australia over the use of the chemical agent Novichok to poison a former Russian military intelligence officer, but after reports war crims were committed in Ukraine.
“I do understand the logic of being cautious to get to an expulsion point,” she said on Thursday.
“There must be a line where a country so demonstrates its unwillingness to be to adhere to international norms.”
DFAT First Assistant Secretary Andrew Walter said the the matter was under constant consideration by the federal government.
“The foreign minister and the department are working closely with our partners to make sure that every step we take is measured, and indeed appropriate, and nothing has been ruled out in regards to this,” he told the committee hearing.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has called for the expulsion of Russian diplomats, barring the ambassador, to hold the Kremlin accountable for the reported atrocities.
Mr Albanese pointed out European countries had already taken this measure.
Countries including France, Germany and Italy have taken steps to expel 206 Russian diplomats and staff, while allowing ambassadors to remain in most cases.
“It is hard to conceive how the decision can be made to allow these individuals to stay, given the sickening abuses being carried out by Russian forces,” he said.
“The mass killing of innocent civilians and the use of rape as a weapon of war can only be described as war crimes.”
Russia has denied targeting civilians during its retreat from towns like Bucha, but Ukrainian officials say between 150 and 300 bodies lay in a single mass grave by a church in the town.
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says the government will take a measured and considered approach in relation to actions taken against Russia.
“With any action, you’ve got to consider what the response is going to be. It’s very easy to stand up and say ‘do this’, but you actually have to consider what the repercussions of that are going to be,” she told Sky News.
“We will go quite quite deeply into the issues of Ukraine, of Russia (and) what the impact will be of any actions that we might take on Australia and Australians.”
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