The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has advised the AFUO tonight that Australian government officials will not be attending the opening of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games.
This outcome is the result of coordinated advocacy – from every member of our community who supported the AFUO’s campaign and wrote to their MP, to the efforts of the Ukrainian Embassy, the advocacy of Victor Kovalenko (Australian Olympic sailing coach), and to cross party support from the office of Foreign Minister Penny Wong – Senator for SA, and the Shadow Foreign Minister Ted O’Brien MP – Federal Member for Fairfax and Australian Greens spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Senator David Shoebridge.
Australia’s decision to boycott the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games sends a strong message that russia’s aggression must never be normalised or sportswashed.
We thank the Albanese Government for standing with Ukraine. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised that 16 countries, including the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Poland, Romania, Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Finland, Croatia and the Czech Republic, together with EU officials, have also refused to participate in the ceremony.
Sport is never “just sport” when a nation is defending itself from an illegal and immoral invasion.
Australia stands with Ukraine.
Read more here: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australian-diplomats-to-boycott-paralympics-opening-ceremony-20260306-p5o8b1.html
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Association of Ukrainians in SA, Association of Ukrainians in Tasmania, Association of Ukrainians in Victoria, Friends of Ukraine Canberra-Queanbeyan (Canberrans #StandWithUkraine), UAANT : Ukrainian-Australian Association of Northern Territory Incorporated, Ukrainian Association Western Australia, Ukrainian Community of Queensland Inc., Ukrainian Council of NSW – ОУГ НПВ
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#StandWithUkraine #MilanoCortina2026 #AustraliaUkraine #SlavaUkraini #AFUO #AFUO_In_Action
