It’s been more than a month since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, which sparked protests across the globe. London has seen a stream of events outside of Downing Street and the Russian Embassy in London since the invasion, with thousands attending.
The protests have attracted those from all backgrounds and countries, including Poland, Slovenia, Ukraine, Russia, America, the UK, France and others. With chants such as ‘Russia Go Home’ and ‘Shield our Skies’ echoing off the stone walls of Downing Street, many are wondering why the UK has not done more to assist the vulnerable country of Ukraine.
“Sanctions may be great in a few weeks or months, but people are dying right this very second. We need immediate action to block Swift,” Ukrainian protestor Sophia Iwaliuk said.
Iwaliuk has attended the last three days of protest outside of Downing Street with her younger sister, Natalia. Both have family still in Ukraine. On the other side of the protest, Russian Elizabeth stands holding a sign which simply reads, “I am Russian and stand with Ukrainians.”
“Putin must be stopped. I know nothing of politics, I only know the war must stop,” she said.
Many of the protestors have been calling for the shielding of Ukraine’s skies. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) has been reluctant to enforce a no-fly zone above Ukraine, which would assist in shielding Ukrainian cities from Russian air strikes. Enforcing such a zone would greatly assist Ukrainian forces in retaliating against Russian troops but would be seen as an act of war by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After peace talks earlier this week, Russia broke its pledge to reduce military strikes in Ukraine, with new raids beginning in the capital city of Kyiv. The next moves from Russia remain uncertain, but one thing remains clear: Russia is not backing down.