Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong speaks during a news conference on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 20, 2022.
REUTERS/Brendan McDermidSYDNEY/WELLINGTON Sept 22 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin's escalation of the war in Ukraine, saying his threats to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia were "unthinkable" and exposed his justification for the war as untrue.
No sham referendum will make them true," Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said in New York, where she is attending the United Nations General Assembly.
"This highlights the falsehood around this war," she told media in New York, where she is attending the United Nations General Assembly.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Kirsty Needham in Sydney and Lucy Craymer in Wellington.