Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko urges Governments to support Ukraine at WALGA

Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia believes Governments of all levels - as well as corporates and even private individuals - can make important contributions to his country’s ongoing defence against the Russian invasion.

Addressing the WA Local Government Association convention on Tuesday, Vasyl Myroshnychenko warned that success for Russian president Vladimir Putin would “embolden other authoritarian leaders in the Middle East (and) in the Indo-Pacific to change borders by force”.

His speech to local government leaders came just days after Russia formalised its annexation of four Ukrainian regions following referendums widely panned as Kremlin-orchestrate shams.

Mr Myroshnychenko highlighted the scale of destruction wrought on Ukraine to date and the “long-term reconstruction” that would be required – stressing help was welcomed from “different corners of society”.

“It can come from the Federal Government of Australia, it can come from regional (State) governments, it can come from municipalities (councils), it can come from corporates, it can come from private citizens,” he said.

By way of example, Mr Myroshnychenko relayed the story of meeting billionaire Andrew Forrest and wife Nicola, with the couple expressing a determination to help Ukrainian farmers.

That resulted in Mr Forrest and the ambassador securing a personal audience with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in June.

The the mining magnate subsequently donating $4 million to establish grain storage facilities and another $2 million to United Nations World Food Programme to deliver agricultural products to famine-struck Djibouti in Africa.

He also lauded Nedlands Mayor Fiona Argyle who, after attending a meeting of Ukrainian refugees in Perth, set about helping getting their children enrolled in schools and secured a spot in a retirement home for a 92-year-old Ukrainian grandmother.

The City of Stirling donated $10,000 to the Ukrainian war effort just weeks after Russia’s invasion and Mr Myroshnychenko said WA was the second State Government – following Queensland – to make a $500,000 donation.

We are there sticking up to the bully, which is true to the Australian tradition of a fair go.

A refugee in the early days of the war having fled to Romania with his family, Mr Myroshnychenko was appointed ambassador to Australia in mid-March.

He and has visited WA four times since then – including last month for a special charity screening of My Ukraine: Inside the Warzone, the award-nominated documentary by West Australian journalist Daryna Zadvirna.

Mr Myroshnychenko said he was occasionally asked what benefit Australia received from contributing to Ukraine’s defence – a cause to which the Commonwealth has already donated $400 million in military assistance alone.

“I think the answer is quite obvious,” he said.

“In Ukraine we are defending all those values that are so important to every Australian.

“It’s democracy, it’s human rights, it’s freedom.

“We are there sticking up to the bully, which is true to the Australian tradition of a fair go.”