Scott Morrison has spoken to Ukraine’s prime minister this evening, just hours after warning a full-scale Russian invasion was “likely to occur within the next 24 hours”. Australia has levelled financial and travel sanctions against Russian individuals and banks, but Morrison said the government was prepared to “do more”. Morrison reached Ukrainian prime minister, Denys Shmyhal, by phone around 6pm tonight. A spokesperson for the Australian PM said the government had an “unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”, and denounced “Russia’s aggressive behaviour towards Ukraine as unacceptable, unprovoked and unwarranted”. The spokesperson said: In a joint statement released just before 6pm, Morrison and the foreign minister, Marise Payne, said today’s round of sanctions was “the beginning of our sanctions process”, and warned any further invasion would be met with “the high cost it deserves”. The Australian government did not outline what further action could be taken. The PM has formally confirmed the Russian sanctions in a statement released earlier. Although not much is new or different to what he announced in the morning, he does specify the banks that will be affected: Rossiya Bank, Promsvyazbank, IS Bank, Genbank and the Black Sea Bank for Development and Reconstruction. These are in addition to the restrictions on state development bank VEB. Morrison also added that visa extensions will be granted to all Ukrainian nationals currently in Australia, with visas set to expire by 30 June. The extension will last for six months. NN: sounds tough… but the sanctions are a joke. Putin has planned this for year. As far as cut off from credit markets… Their are always the Chinese bearing gifts. China is desperate for Russian gas, oil and minerals… especially aluminum. And they got plenty of banking services to offer especially billions in loan. As long as Putin plays his oil and gas card he is unstoppable. China is the worlds largest oil importer.. A marriage made in commie heaven. Remeber 10 years ago the southern med pipeline was proposed. freeing Europe from Russia’s death grip. They chose the Russian pipeline to Germany. Now they will pay a heavy price.