Australia 'won't be intimidated' by Russian warning on Ukraine, Wong says

The foreign minister has responded after the Russian ambassador said there would be "grave consequences" for Australia if it joined a peacekeeping presence in Ukraine.

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Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said Australia "won't be intimidated" by Russian warnings about the prospect of joining a peacekeeping force in Ukraine.

The Russian embassy in Canberra yesterday warned of "grave consequences" if Australia joined a "coalition of the willing" proposed by the UK and France to guarantee Ukraine's security in the event of a peace deal, something Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unexpectedly said he would consider.

Russia has told Australia there will be "grave consequences" if it puts "boots on the ground" in Ukraine.

"Western boots on the ground are unacceptable for Russia, and we will not remain passive observes," the embassy said in a social media statement.

Senator Wong said Australia had "a proud tradition of supporting peace through 80 years of contributions to international peacekeeping missions," while emphasising no such mission yet existed and that no decision had been made.

"Our message to Russia is: end your illegal invasion of Ukraine. We won't be intimidated from working towards a just peace for the people of Ukraine."

The federal government has sent a defence official, Air Vice-Marshal Di Turton, to attend a meeting in Paris on Tuesday Australian time to discuss support for Ukraine.

The purpose of any peacekeeping force would be as a guarantor for Ukraine's security should Russia renege on the terms of any US-brokered peace deal. It would only be in place after such a deal, and would be similar to current peacekeeping efforts Australia is involved in the Middle East and Africa.

Mr Albanese's signal of openness to joining a mission has created a bipartisan fissure, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton arguing Europeans should do more and Australia should focus on regional needs.

The Russian embassy statement said peacekeeping forces were a "guise … to undermine peace efforts," accusing the Australian government of being "firmly on the side of war".

"To those inclined to construe [this] as a threat: it is not. It is a warning. Russia has no intention to harm Australians, and Canberra can easily avoid trouble by simply refraining from irresponsible adventurism," the statement read.

Labor frontbencher Amanda Rishworth said this morning on Nine's Today that Russia had overreacted and was "bullying" Australia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, as the Middle East nation tries to assert itself as a peace maker between Ukraine and Russia.

"A request has not come, but it would be ridiculous to rule out, if a request was to come, to not consider it," she said.

Coalition frontbencher Bridget McKenzie said Russia's response was "obvious", calling the PM "reckless" for raising the prospect of joining peacekeeping "when there is no peace … [it] shows you just how inexperienced this guy is".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Saudi Arabia ahead of talks with US officials on the war, following an Oval Office spat with US President Donald Trump, which Mr Zelenskyy has since described as "regrettable".

The US has paused military support to the country, but White House official Steve Witkoff said this week that while there was "a long way" to an agreement on the Russian side, the recent signs from Mr Zelenskyy had been "very positive".

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