CANBERRA, Australia — Australia’s government will intervene to block the construction of a new Russian Embassy in its capital Canberra, potentially ending a long-running clash between the two sides over a controversial land lease.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he would introduce legislation Thursday to cancel the Russian government’s lease on a block of land close to the Australian Parliament, where Moscow intended to build a new embassy. It’s expected to pass within 24 hours with bipartisan support, he said.
“The government has received very clear security advice as to the risk presented by a new Russian presence so close to Parliament House,” Albanese told a morning news conference in Canberra. Russia will still maintain its current embassy in the city, he added.
