In the face of increasing Russian aggression and a great danger of imminent military escalation, the Ukrainian communities in New Zealand ask for urgent support.

The Ukrainians in New Zealand resolutely condemns Russia’s decision to recognise the Russian-controlled rebel areas of the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk “people’s republics” (DPR and LPR), and the sending of troops to these territories which were illegally occupied since 2014. In recent days, the number of shelling has increased. This has resulted in the number of casualties among Ukrainian troops which continues to grow daily as well as adding to the number of civilians being killed. For the last eight years, over 14,000 Ukrainian citizens have been killed by hostile Russian actions.

Ukraine is an independent state with internationally agreed borders since 1991. Its sovereignty and territorial integrity are guaranteed in the Ukrainian Constitution as well as international agreements such as the Budapest Memorandum (1994) and United Nations Resolutions 68/262 (2014).

Russia annexed Crimea and invaded eastern Ukraine in 2014. Since that time, Ukrainians have been living under the threat of Russian aggression. Today, over 150,000 Russian military troops have been placed alongside the Ukrainian border with combat units moving into Lugansk and Donetsk regions. The DPR and LPR control 33 percent of these regions, yet Russia demands that Ukraine gives up the other 67 percent to be controlled by Russia. Such steps are a blatant violation of international law and the global international rules-based system that has maintained stability since World War II. If the Kremlin orders a full-scale invasion, it will produce the largest conflict in Europe since the Second World War, that has a potential to turn into the Third World War, with tragic consequences for millions of people as well as devastating global financial markets.

Ukrainians from all over New Zealand will be holding peaceful protests in the major centers in New Zealand between 26 - 27 February 2022, from 12:00 pm. All people who care for peace are invited to join the Ukrainian communities in calling for peace.

Please feel free to come to any of the protests in Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin. Here are the spots where protests will take place and people you can contact for checking the details or getting any other information you need:

Saturday 26/02/2022, 12:00 PM:

Wellington, Civic Square, from 2:00 PM Embassy of the Russian Federation in New Zealand, 57 Messines Road, Karori (contact person: Andrii Legenkyy 02102995578)

Christchurch, Cathedral square (contact people: Yana Khorozova 0210532412 or Michael Lidski 0211519999)

Dunedin, The Lower Octagon (contact person: Olha Viazenko 0220487317)

Sunday 27/02/2022, 12:00 PM:

Auckland, Aotea Square by Auckland Town Hall (contact people: Yurko Gladun 0212337655 or Anton Stafurin 021 2694332).

Supported by:

Ukrainian Gromada of Wellington

Ukrainian Association of New Zealand (South) in Christchurch

Ukrainian Association of New Zealand (Northern Regions) in Auckland

Ukrainian Community in Dunedin

Ukrainian Educational and Support Trust (Manawatu)

© Scoop Media