Australian PM Albanese to meet Zelenskyy over jailed citizen Jenkins in Rome

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to discuss the imprisonment of Oscar Jenkins, an Australian captured while fighting for Ukraine, in talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome. Jenkins was sentenced to 13 years in a Russian prison after being convicted as a mercenary, a designation that denies him the protections of a prisoner of war under international law, a move the Australian government condemns as a sham trial. Albanese has expressed outrage at Russia's actions, accusing Moscow of abrogating its international legal obligations and insisting that Jenkins should be treated humanely as a member of the Ukrainian defense forces. The meeting is expected to occur on the sidelines of Pope Leo XIV's inauguration, with discussions possibly including efforts to secure Jenkins' release, potentially as part of a broader prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Australian political figures across the spectrum have called Jenkins' treatment shocking, and the Ukrainian government has also recognized him as a prisoner of war who should be negotiated for release. However, Russia's classification of Jenkins as a mercenary complicates potential diplomatic resolutions.