The Morrison government is considering a range of visa options for Ukrainians who might have to flee their country, as it prepares for the possibility of a major Russian invasion in eastern Europe.
The three remaining Australian diplomats in Ukraine are expected to be sent to neighbouring Poland as soon as possible and a coordinated suite of sanctions targeting the Kremlin is also being discussed.
Although work has been taking place behind the scenes for weeks, discussions reached a new intensity today after Russian President Vladimir Putin officially recognised the independence of Moscow-backed rebel-held regions in eastern Ukraine.
His decision to send in so-called "peacekeepers", or Russian troops, has fuelled fears among western nations of a major escalation in the ongoing war.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison declared the suggestion Russian soldiers were there to maintain peace was "nonsense".
"They have moved in on Ukrainian sovereign territory," he said.
"While I hope for the best in terms of the diplomatic efforts that are being pursued … we cannot have threats of violence being used to seek advantage of one nation's position over others.
"The moment that other countries put in place strong and severe sanctions on Russia, we will be in lock step with them."
Further sanctions being discussed
The government's National Security Committee of cabinet has already broadly agreed to a potential suite of sanctions.
But senior members of the Morrison government say a decision has not been made yet on whether Mr Putin's actions currently meet the "threshold" for the sanctions to be implemented.
Any move will be coordinated with Australia's allies, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom, and Foreign Minister Marise Payne has remained tight-lipped about her possible options.
"We are working closely with partners to ensure whatever sanctions are imposed are deep and serious," she told Nine radio.
The White House has already announced it will prohibit US investment in the Russian-backed rebel-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
But it is unclear there would be any benefit at all to Australia doing the same thing, given our nation's limited involvement in the region.
The Kremlin has on multiple occasions scoffed at the threat of facing additional western sanctions, with Russia's ambassador to Australia, Alexy Pavlovsky, recently stating: "It should be crystal clear … they don't work."
The federal government is also closely monitoring how China reacts to Russia's recognition of the two regions.
Some senior ministers claim it could be a precedent Beijing tries to use in the future and they are urging European nations, particularly Germany, France and Italy, to act strongly against Russia.
Extra visas for Ukrainians being considered
The Australian Ukrainian community has been watching the Russian troop build-up in eastern Europe with increasing alarm for several months and is now urging the federal government to take a tough stance against the Kremlin.
The government says there are about 50,000 people in Australia with Ukrainian heritage and about 8,500 were born in Ukraine.
It is considering a range of visa options for those who might have to flee the conflict, including extra temporary protection visas and extending the visas of Ukrainians already in Australia.
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke mentioned the issue at a rally in Sydney at the weekend and advocates are hopeful an announcement will be made soon.
"We watch the media and you see people packing up their children," said Stefan Romaniw, the vice-president of the Ukrainian World Congress.
"We need to be ready, including here in Australia, and we've been talking to the government about this a lot."
The federal opposition echoed the sentiment coming from the government.
Shadow Foreign Minister Penny Wong described Russia's recognition of the two separatist regions as a "blatant violation of international law".
"It is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and it is a violation of the Minsk agreements," Senator Wong added.
"There is no justification, no matter what Mr Putin says, to a decision to engage in conflict."
