Sunflower planting action held in Washington in support of Ukraine

Ukrainian activists, diplomats, and citizens of the US and other countries are planting sunflowers in front of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington for the third year in a row. They became a symbol of Ukraine's struggle for freedom and its resistance to Russia's aggression.

Ukrinform writes about it, Rubryka reports.

This year, the rally in support of Ukraine in the US capital gathered more than a hundred people.

"We came to the Russian embassy to remind you that Ukraine continues to fight for its freedom and independence and has strong support from the USA and other countries. Our sunflowers symbolize Ukraine's approaching victory in Russia's war and the liberation of its territories," Nadiia Shaporynska, the organizer of the action and the president of US Ukrainian Activists (USUA), told the agency in a comment.

The event has already become a tradition and has been held for the third year since the beginning of full-scale Russia's aggression in 2022.

The initiator was US citizen Benjamin Wittes, supported by the USUA team.

Since then, every year, at the end of April, they plant sunflowers and thus draw public attention to the crimes committed by Russia against Ukraine and Ukrainians.

Another activist, the American Connor O'Brien, joined the campaign this year. He had been caring for the planted sunflowers since last year, watering them regularly until the beginning of November.

This time, he participated in the creation of a new "garden," which has received the name Polonne since last year in honor of the town in the Khmelnytskyi region where Connor worked as a teacher.

Diplomats of the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA and Ambassador Oksana Markarova personally take part in the actions every year.

"We plant sunflowers to declare once again: we will win. We plant them to remember those we lost, and also because we, Ukrainians, create, grow, and build," Markarova noted in this regard.

She emphasized that such actions in support of Ukraine are important and thanked everyone who contributes.

Довідка

Earlier this week, in New York, there was an action against the performance of the Russian Mariinsky Theater, after which it was canceled. The protest took place in the form of a performance to show the true face of Russian theater. It was held by the Svitanok.nyc organization with the participation of the Ukrainian community and interested citizens.

We will remind you that activists, public figures, and diplomats from Ukraine, the US, and other countries jointly planted sunflowers under the Russian embassy in Washington in 2022 in support of Ukraine.

Rubryka also informed that in 2023, representatives of Ukrainian NGOs, activists, and diplomats held an action under the embassy of the Russian Federation in the US capital, Washington, planting sunflowers, which are one of the main symbols of Ukraine's struggle for freedom.

As Rubryka wrote, on January 22, 335 sunflowers were planted in New York in honor of Ukraine's National Unity Day celebrations.