Ambassadors stand with Ukraine on war's anniversary

Diplomacy

Published: 24 Feb. 2023, 18:01

Ambassadors stand with Ukraine on war's anniversary

Ukrainian Ambassador to Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko, left, and Maria Castillo-Fernandez, ambassador of the European Union to Korea, address the audience at the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition dedicated to Ukraine as the country marks the first year of its invasion by Russia on Friday. [ESTHER CHUNG]

Dozens of ambassadors and diplomats stood in solidarity with Ukraine in Seoul as the country marked the first full year of the Russian invasion on Friday.

“A year ago, some predicted Ukraine would fall in a matter of days,” said Maria Castillo-Fernandez, ambassador of the European Union to Korea, addressing a packed-house audience at the Estonian Business Hub of Seoul Square in central Seoul.

“But instead, the bravery of the Ukrainian people stunned the world,” she said, as a slideshow of photos showing destruction of Ukrainian cities and towns passed before the eyes of the audience. “We can never match the sacrifice and the bravery of the Ukrainian people. But we can stand firmly on your side.”

Many in the audience at the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition for Ukraine organized by the Ukrainian Embassy and the EU Delegation in Seoul were clad in yellow and blue, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Korea Dmytro Ponomarenko stressed that the battle is no longer just about Ukraine.

“Russia must be defeated now because appeasing the aggressor would lead to more atrocities elsewhere,” said Ponomarenko. “We are extremely grateful to our allies and friends for the security and humanitarian assistance that we receive. We thank the Republic of Korea and its people for their support.

“I share my sincere hope that 2023 will be a decisive and victorious one for my country and all the peace-loving nations all over the world,” he said.

Ambassadors and diplomats in Seoul observe the photos taken in Ukraine in the past year during the Russian invasion of the country, at a photo exhibition organized by the Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul with the European Union Delegation in Seoul on Friday. [ESTHER CHUNG]

The event followed within hours of the United Nations resolution issued in New York on Thursday to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began on Feb. 24, 2022, and to demand the withdrawal of Russian troops.

A total of 141 countries supported the resolution. Another 32 abstained and seven, including Russia and North Korea, opposed.

Leaders around the world have been visiting Ukraine to show their support for the people of Ukraine, including U.S. President Joe Biden who staged a surprise visit on Monday.

“The United States stands with the people and the government of Ukraine against this brutal aggression being carried out by Russia and Putin,” said U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg at the event on Friday. “We are in it for the long haul. We will support Ukraine as it defends its sovereign territory.”

Ambassadors and diplomats of over 30 countries join the opening ceremony of a photo exhibition dedicated to Ukraine at the Seoul Square as the country marks the first year of invasion by Russia on Friday. [ESTHER CHUNG]

The photos taken of Ukraine in the past year, including those by award-winning photographer Dmytro Kozatskyi, will be exhibited at the lobby of the Seoul Square building for the next two weeks.

The photos taken since the Russian attack showed the stark realities faced by many Ukrainians, including those depicting civilians spending a wide-eyed night at a subway station in Kyiv on the day after the invasion, and others of Ukrainians trying to find a sense of normalcy in a state of war, like a girl swinging high on a playground swing against the backdrop of the devastated town of Borodianka in the Kyiv region.

“People ask if we are OK back in our hometowns, and we don’t know how to respond to such questions because none of this is OK,” said a Ukrainian citizen at the photo exhibition on Friday.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]