Ukraine issues dire warning to Australia if Russia wins war: 'So close you cannot imagine'

 Ukraine's top diplomat in Australia has warned democracy is at stake in his home country's war with Russia and the threat of authoritarianism is 'so close you cannot even imagine'. 

Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko told a University of Canberra event hosted at the National Press Club on Monday night Ukraine must win for democracies to survive. 

'The reason we're asking for support is because if we fall, you all will crumble,' he said.

'Let me tell you Australia, this war is next door. It's so close you cannot even imagine.'

The ambassador's comments come more than three years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine on February 24, 2022. 

Ambassador Myroshnychenko, who is lobbying Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to visit Kyiv in June, on Monday reiterated his support for deeper economic ties between Australia and Ukraine. 

'Australia should come and help Ukraine, help the European Union and I think we will all benefit from it because we should create an alliance of democracies in rare earth and critical minerals,' he told the Canberra gathering on Monday. 

'Autocracies are abusing their leverage globally, and we all democracies are now in the minority globally. 

'You have great elections here, a very robust democracy in Australia, but don't take it for granted. It could be taken away very easily.'

Mr Myroshnychenko has represented Ukraine's interests in Australia since he was appointed to the position in March 2022, less than a month after the war began. 

During his tenure, Australia has committed more than $1.5billion to the Eastern European nation, including $1.3billion in military equipment and training.  

Mr Albanese promised to continue supporting Ukraine when he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass earlier this month. 

He was invited to visit the war-torn country during the same meeting.   

The Ukrainian ambassador further welcomed the Albanese government's plans to establish a critical minerals reserve - a move Mr Myroshnychenko said could help to reduce the global reliance on Chinese processing. 

Announced in April, the strategic reserve would earmark agreed volumes of critical minerals from commercial projects to bolster the government's stockpile of the minerals and rare earths. 

China refines approximately 90 per cent of the world's supply of rare earths and a commanding share of the world's critical minerals - both of which are considered essential in supporting the energy transition, AI, high tech manufacturing and defence. 

While the details of the plan have yet to be determined, the European Union's ambassador to Australia Gabriele Visentin said on Monday the EU was watching the process 'with interest'.  

Earlier this month, Kyiv signed a deal with Washington to establish a joint investment fund which will be partially capitalised by a natural resource extraction. 

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the fund would help Ukriane 'attract global investment into our country' and would help the nation to rebuild once the dust had settled on the ongoing conflict. 

'The fund is a symbol of long-term strategic commitment. Together, Ukraine and the United States will invest in the recovery and growth of our country – on terms that protect our sovereignty and empower our future,' she said.