Australia is like, "Nah, no way we're letting Russia build their fancy new embassy in Canberra!"

(Sydney) So, the Aussie government has decided to say "no way" to building a new Russian embassy next to Parliament in Canberra, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He reckons it's a big ol' threat to our national security.

6507

The government asked the intelligence services for advice on the Russian embassy near Parliament, and they gave a clear warning about the security risk. 

Russia has been renting a piece of land near Parliament since 2008, and in 2011 they got permission to build their embassy there.

 Last August, the government tried to cancel the lease because they weren't following all the rules, but a federal judge overturned that decision in May. Since there are no other options, the government is going to pass a law to cancel the lease and stop the embassy from being built. 

The prime minister said, "We're moving fast to make sure that area doesn't become an official Russian presence."

He said Russia is probably gonna do something back or take legal action.

 "We'll see what they do, but we kinda expected it," he said. 

"Russia can't really talk about international law since they've completely ignored it by invading Ukraine," Albanese said. 

Australian Interior Minister Clare O'Neil thinks that the new Russian embassy is a big threat to our national security.

 "The problem with this new embassy is where it's gonna be," she said, 

adding that it's right next to the Parliament Buildings.