‘Propaganda’: Albanese mocks Russia’s ‘you have no cards’ warning to Australia

Incendiary letter by Moscow's envoy says Australians should be more concerned about US bases on their soil than a Russian base in Indonesia

• Election 2025 live updates: Australia federal election campaign
• Get our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcast

Russian warnings to Australia that you have no cards" to stop Russian military activity in the Indo-Pacific have been mocked by Anthony Albanese, who has dismissed an incendiary letter from an ambassador as authoritarian propaganda".

The unsubstantiated spectre of a proposed Russian military airbase on Indonesian territory has loomed over the past week of Australia's federal election campaign, with the opposition accusing the government of obfuscating and dodging questions, and the government responding that the opposition had misrepresented the Indonesian government and actively fanned Russian propaganda.

Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter