It’s hard to imagine how bizarre it would have seemed just one year ago for a new Australian prime minister to be making a speech in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, or visiting the nearby town of Bucha.

During the past forty years, a new Australian prime minister would have been expected to visit several major Asian capitals and Washington, if not London, to open their account. Malcolm Fraser was the first to begin his term with visits to Tokyo and Beijing, before visiting Washington and London. He was a leader of his time and understood how important Asia had become for Australia’s future.