How can I support Ukraine from abroad?  

Марина Смагина

выпускающий редактор "Рубрики", писательница

What is the problem?

Today, Ukraine is on all the headlines in the world. Russian aggression against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people is shocking to many: the war the aggressor unleashed on Ukrainian land is inhumane, horrific, ruthless. Russian army aims at civilians, whole cities live under severe bombings, the ruinations are unbelievable, people get killed and injured, children lose their parents, some children even lose their lives. Today, a pregnant woman from Mariupol who was injured after the Russian bombing of maternity hospital died. Her unborn child did not survive it either. 

This is genocide of the Ukrainian people.

This terror is happening in the heart of Europe in 2022. And while we are grateful for every bit of assistance we get from our partners, Ukraine and our people still need help and support. Mainly, we ask our partners and NATO to close the sky over Ukraine, but that is not all. In times like these, there is no small help. Everything matters. And everyone can help.

What is the solution?

How to help Ukraine in this war?

There are many ways to support Ukraine and Ukrainians right now. Every bit of help brings the victory of good against evil closer, saves lives, brings a bit of light to the lives of those who suffered most. If you want to support Ukraine, you can consider one of the following options.

Every little bit of help matters.

One of the easiest and most direct ways to help Ukrainians is to donate money for the cause. Many charities accept transfers from worldwide to provide humanitarian help to Ukrainians suffering from the war. You can also financially support the Ukrainian army. Below you can find links to verified ways to support Ukraine financially:

• Support the Ukrainian Army with any currency donation via the National Bank of Ukraine special account. Enter your card details or donate through GooglePay. All the details are here. 
• You can support the Ukrainian Army that defends all the peaceful people of Ukraine through supporting the 'Come Back Alive' fund. 'Come Back Alive' supports defense strategies, including medical assistance, ammunition, and defense analysis purely. The fund does not spend the money to purchase lethal equipment. You can donate here.
• Another way to support the Ukrainian Army is through the Army SOS charity fund. Army SOS Citizens Initiative coordinates people's efforts to help soldiers of Ukraine. They mainly raise funds to get tactical medicine, night vision devices, radio stations, helmets, life vests, etc., for soldiers of the Ukrainian Army. Learn how to donate to the fund via the link.
• You can also buy T-shirts to support Ukraine via the Stand4Ukraine website. 100% of the profit will be donated to the Ukrainian Army and Ukrainian Red Cross. The platform creators are all Ukrainians, and the designs they use on their products are by independent Ukrainian artists.
• To support the civilians of Ukraine, you can donate to United Help Ukraine that is an American non-profit that formed after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. It's raising money to send first aid kits and other humanitarian aid to Ukraine. It focuses on providing medical supplies and humanitarian assistance and raising awareness of the conflict.
• Voices of Children aims to help children affected by the war in eastern Ukraine, providing support through art therapy, psychologists, video storytelling, and other methods. Voices of Children is a Ukraine-based aid organization that provides psychological support to children who have witnessed war.
• World Central Kitchen is a non-profit organization that is first on the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. The WCK builds resilient food systems with locally-led solutions. For Ukrainians forced to flee their homes, they have already served 1 million meals across Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Moldova, and Hungary. You can support the WCK here.
• The Ukrainian Red Cross does loads of humanitarian work, from aiding refugees to training doctors. Donate here.
• To help animals suffering from war, you can support such Ukrainian charity funds as UAnimals that are currently focused on rescuing animals, helping shelters financially, providing them with food, and evacuating animals to other countries. Happy Paw is another fund that helps homeless animals in Ukraine. 

You can also donate some goods (like long-term food, baby care, or hygiene products) at a place where you live – many grocery stores across Europe and the world now have baskets for donations going specifically to Ukrainian people. Look for your local volunteer community and ask if they are doing anything for Ukraine — chances are, they already know what needs to be done and will gladly bring you aboard.

While donations are essential, they are not the only way to support Ukraine during the war. If you live in a neighboring country, you can volunteer at the border by serving food, offering a ride to refugees, and sorting things donated by other people.

However, you don't need to live in Ukraine or even a bordering country to volunteer for the benefit of Ukrainians. These days one can volunteer from anywhere. I.e. SAFEBOW, a grass-root organization aiding evacuation from Ukraine, is looking for researchers, case managers, admin support, mental health supports, and translators who could volunteer from anywhere in the world. 

Reach out to your local volunteer community to find out if they are volunteering for Ukraine and participate if you are willing.

Russia is a violent aggressor breaching every crucial international law, following no war regulations, shelling civilian objects, aiming at peaceful people and kids. It is vital as ever to support Ukraine and Ukrainians informationally. The least you can do is share the truthful news about Ukraine covering what is happening for real, calling a spade a spade. 

Many people in Ukraine fear that people in the West will soon get tired of the war and forget us. Prove them wrong! Keep being informed on what is going on, share truthful information about the war, and fight Russian propaganda. 

Be aware of the resources you take information from. Make sure they are independent media and not controlled by Russian propaganda in any way. Please don't share anything with the subcontext of Russia's and Ukraine's 'fraternity' or both sides of 'conflict.' Russia is our enemy that brutally invaded our country, waged war, and wants no less than to destroy our independence and our nation. Don't fall for Russian propaganda that will try to convince you otherwise! 

You can write to your representatives or visit your local representative's office to ask them to support Ukraine. Ask them to provide necessary aid, apply sanctions to Russia, help refugees. 

Join demonstrations and rallies in support of Ukraine. 

Demand your representatives and governments to #closethesky over Ukraine. Given that they were elected and given their power by you, they must consider your demands.

This request we have repeated multiple times to our partners is very important — Russian forces strike our cities and people from the air. Closing the sky will save lives and be a massive help for Ukrainians fighting the aggressor.

Such expression of your support is precious to the citizens of Ukraine as we can see how many people are on our side, fighting for us, caring for what is happening in our country.

If you know people from Ukraine or people who have relatives there — contact them. Please show them your support. Even the simplest gesture as a message of 'Thinking about you/your family/friends in Ukraine. How are you?' means the world. Again, it shows people that they are not forgotten and that other people care.

If you are ready to help them personally, don't hesitate to offer that help. It might not be needed, but still, it will mean a lot to a person who gets such support during the war.

If there are refugees from Ukraine in your area, you can offer them a bit of help as well. Imagine being forced to flee your home and find yourself in a foreign place. The least you can do for a person who faces this new reality is make it friendly. Show them around. Explain how local transportation works, where to buy groceries, and where to walk their pet. Ask them if they need anything. Many things might seem obvious to you as a local but are alien to someone who has just arrived, especially under such circumstances. Make this transition more accessible to them if this is in your power. 

If you have a spare room, you can host Ukrainian refugees. You can learn more about the need and what should be done to host refugees at your local refugee organization or become a host through the Shelter for Ukraine organization. There are hundreds of people across the globe who have already joined the platform and invite refugees to have a temporary home with them.

Now is the time when information and access to truthful news is crucial both for Ukrainians and for the citizens of the rest of the world. That is why it is essential to support freedom of speech and independent media in Ukraine.

You can donate to most Ukrainian media outlets directly to keep them going, or you can contact their editors to learn more about their support options. Some Ukrainian media platforms have English versions. Among them are, for example:

• Rubryka
• Kyiv Independent
• The New Voice of Ukraine

Even more useful solutions!

There are many things you can do besides that. If you are a business owner, you can make sure you give people who flee Ukraine a fair chance at getting a job. You can look for Ukrainians to take remote positions at your business — Ukraine has a lot of qualified workforces. Or you can even create vacancies specifically for Ukrainians. 

If you are a consumer (well, aren't we all?), you can get something from a Ukrainian manufacturer or independent creator/business owner to support our people and economy.

Boycott those companies that haven't left Russia and thus support their bloody actions in Ukraine.

The options are infinite.

The bottom line is: being there for each other is one of the most important things during hard times, great crises, and especially during war. There is no space now for staying away. Ignorance is not bliss; it is straight helping evil.

We summarized how you can help Ukraine 🇺🇦 from abroad. Watch our step-by-step guide #IstandwithUkraine pic.twitter.com/jrkuKMmVT1

— Rubryka — Solutions from Ukraine (@RubrykaEng) April 13, 2022