Ukrainians rally outside Australian government, urging stronger support for Ukraine

Ukrainians in Australia held a peaceful rally in Sydney, urging the country’s government to increase assistance to Kyiv. Dozens took to the streets with Ukrainian flags and banners.

The dialogue with the Australian government was initiated by the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO), led by Stefan Romaniw, the UWC First Vice President and Co-Chair of the AFUO, as well as Kateryna Argyrou, a member of the UWC Board of Directors and AFUO Co-Chair. Anton Bogdanovych and the Ukrainian community of Sydney organized the rally.

“Ukraine needs additional military support now. Ukraine’s war is Australia’s war. Fight for values, fight to defeat evil,” Stefan Romaniw said.

The Ukrainian community also called on the Australian government to strengthen sanctions against Russia, increase the supply of weapons to the Armed Forces, and take “decisive actions.”

“Russia carries out terrorist attacks daily. Ukrainians need our support to stop the terrorist country faster,” one of the banners read. “This [increase support for Ukraine] is a must to ensure that Russian aggression and terrorism is halted. Ukraine will win. But it needs the tools now,” demonstration participants said.

Earlier, AFUO appealed to the Australian Parliament in a letter to increase support for Ukraine. Ukrainians in Australia strongly urged Canberra to provide additional military support to Ukraine as soon as possible.

AFUO expressed gratitude for the military and diplomatic support provided to Ukraine by the Australian government. “However, the community we represent believes that Australia can and should do more. Ukrainians in Australia believe Australia’s support for Ukraine has decreased in ambition and frequency over the past 12 months. AFUO plays a crucial role in conveying the views of our community directly to you,” wrote AFUO to Richard Marles.