The prime minister has also responded cautiously to a push from the European Union to deepen defence cooperation, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a new security partnership with Australia. Mr Albanese also met briefly with the pope after the mass, telling the new pontiff that his late mother would be "looking down from heaven with the biggest smile she's ever had", watching him attending the mass as prime minister. Mr Albanese said Australia continued to "seek his freedom and his return to Australia and we thank you for the assistance in that", suggesting Ukraine might be open to trying to secure his release through a broader prisoner swap with Russia down the track.
Author: Stephen Dziedzic
Published at: 2025-05-18 21:54:45
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