Support Ukraine through action: important initiatives at the "Vyshyvanka Unites – Rahvustikand ühendab" festival

During the festival we invite you to contribute to a common cause by joining two initiatives in support of Ukraine and Ukrainians!

•  Ukraine must become a member of the European Union – not "some day", but now: sign the petition to the European Parliament.

The Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia has joined the #Strichka initiative "Stand together", which collects signatures for a petition to the European Parliament: "On the urgent admission of Ukraine to the EU to strengthen European security and deter the Russian threat".

We are the official coordinator of this initiative in Estonia.

This petition is not about symbols or yet another statement. It is about security, responsibility and the future. Russia's war against Ukraine is not only a threat to one country; it is a challenge for the whole of Europe. It is a test of whether the European Union can stand together with those who are actually fighting for its values – not with words, but with weapons and lives.

Ukraine is not a buffer zone; it is a shield that holds back the Russian army on Europe's eastern border every day. And as long as Kyiv stands, Tallinn can live without explosions.

The Baltic states, Poland and Scandinavia remember well what occupation is and what the lack of Western political will at a decisive moment means. We know that if Ukraine falls, others will have to fight, with no time to prepare. That is why today this is not about "solidarity", but about necessity, political maturity and a strategic decision.

How to join? During the festival we invite all EU residents (Estonian citizens) and Ukrainians with temporary or international protection to sign the petition on the spot! For the petition to carry weight, 1 million signatures of EU citizens and residents must be collected.

Location: the stand of the Association of Ukrainian Organisations in Estonia

With this action we will tell Members of the European Parliament: the decision cannot be postponed to 2030 while Russia is preparing to act today. Ukraine is part of Europe. Not formally, but in substance. Not in theory, but in action.

We stand together. Because in this war there is no neutrality. And there is no "later". There is only "now" – and a shared responsibility for the future.

•  "Write a letter to a Ukrainian prisoner of war"

Together with Nataliia Shevchenko, a psychologist who works with Ukrainian refugees – children and their parents – and coordinator of mental health projects, we invite you to join a quiet but very important cause: writing a letter of support to Ukrainian defenders who are now in captivity.

How to take part:

• Write a few sincere lines to a Ukrainian defender in captivity.
• Add a drawing or a warm wish.
• Leave the letter in the box – volunteers will make sure it reaches the addressee.

Every such letter is a ray of support and remembrance breaking through the darkness.

Location: at the stand of radio DRUZI.

Standing Together – because only together are we strong.

Come and turn words into action with us! We look forward to seeing you on 18 May from 12:00 to 20:00 at the Estonian Open Air Museum (side entrance)!