Advocacy for Ukraine: Highlights of the UWC President’s visit to South America

Paul Grod, President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), undertook a significant mission to South America, drawing further attention to Ukraine’s independence struggle amid Russia’s ongoing genocidal war.  

The discussion between UWC President Grod and Ibrahim Abdul Hak Neto, who is President Lula’s Chief Advisor on Ukraine and Europe, focused on how Brazil can enhance its support for Ukraine. Grod emphasized that securing international support for Ukraine is a key priority for the UWC.

“We are obliged to support Brazil’s position against the invasion, established at the UN 23 years ago, and call for Russian troops to withdraw from Ukraine,” said Senator Flávio Arns, Chair of the Brazil-Ukraine Parliamentary Group. 

His plea was expressed during a meeting between the UWC Delegation, composed of President Paul Grod, Vitório Sorotiuk, President of the Ukrainian-Brazilian Central Representation (UBCR), and Jorge Rybka, UBCR representative and Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Brazil, with senators from the Federal Senate of Brazil.

Paul Grod brought up the issue of increased support for Ukraine with Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira during a closed-door meeting.

During the visit, Paul Grod also thanked Brazil for its support of the Ukrainian community. At the same time, the UWC President expressed concern about strengthening relations between Brazil and Russia, particularly in trade, and emphasized that Brazil’s assistance to Ukraine could significantly contribute to restoring a just peace and global order.

In Buenos Aires, Argentina, there was a high-level meeting between the UWC Delegation and Guillermo Francos, Argentina’s Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers. Paul Grod highlighted the critical need for support for Ukraine in its ongoing fight for freedom and independence. He also stressed the significance of President Javier Milei’s participation at the Crimea Platform Summit and Argentina’s continued endorsement of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula.

Accompanying Paul Grod were UWC Third Vice President Andriy Futey, UWC Vice President for South America and President of the “Prosvita” Society in Argentina, Jorge Danylyshyn; President of the Ukrainian Central Representation in Argentina, Dr. Pedro Lylyk; and María Zinko, Vice President of the Ukrainian Central Representation in Argentina.

During the visit, several important meetings were held with parliamentarians, senators, and high officials of the Argentine Republic. The senior figures involved included Argentine MP Ricardo López Murphy, formerly the Minister of Defense and Minister of Economy, Senators Sonia Rojas Decut and Carlos Arce, and Buenos Aires City Councilman Carlos Donati.

On the same day, there was an official meeting in Congress between the UWC delegation and leaders and members of the newly formed Argentina-Ukraine parliamentary friendship group. There was a unanimous statement from the members of the parliamentary friendship group to reaffirm their firm support for Ukraine.

The meeting with Ukraine’s Ambassador to Argentina, Yurii Klymenko, concentrated on key areas of cooperation and important legislative initiatives, aiming to help consolidate support for Ukraine. The UWC delegation also took the opportunity to engage with representatives of Ukrainian media in Buenos Aires, discussing the daily work of the UWC across all continents. 

During his visit, Paul Grod took part in a discussion about Russian disinformation, which was organized by the Argentine Council for International Relations.

A significant event was the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Ukrainian Cultural Society “Prosvita” in Argentina. The UWC President extended his congratulations to the Ukrainian community in Argentina. The celebration took place in the Golden Hall of the Buenos Aires City Council.

In his keynote speech the UWC President stressed the importance of the close cooperation between the “Prosvita” Society and Argentinian authorities, in order to facilitate the free development of Ukrainian public life, and he sincerely expressed gratitude for this support. He stressed that Ukraine, now more than ever, needs consolidated assistance from the entire world.  He highlighted the significance of South America’s voice and Argentina’s regional leadership, which had already been declared at the Peace Summit in Switzerland. “I would like to sincerely thank President of Argentina Javier Milei and all supporters of Ukraine,” Grod concluded.

The UWC President took part in all anniversary celebrations, including the official ceremony, also a visit to Berriso, hometown of “Prosvita”, and the festive concert. On behalf of the multi-million Ukrainian diaspora, Paul Grod awarded an honorary diploma to the “Prosvita” Cultural Society in Argentina and bestowed a special distinction upon its President, Jorge Danylyshyn.

An important part of the mission included meetings between the UWC delegation and Ukrainian communities in Argentina and Brazil, as well as with Ukrainian youth in Argentina.