The spouses of the ambassadors of Ukraine, Italy, and Estonia to Australia resigned from the Women's International Club (WIC) of Canberra after the organization accepted Irina Petrakova, the wife of the Russian head of the diplomatic mission in Australia, into the organization, Politico reports .
According to the publication, after the rest of the organization's members were informed of Petrakova's membership, the Ukrainian ambassador's wife, Irina Miroshnichenko, announced her resignation, citing that she could not be in the club with the spouse of a representative of a state involved in an armed conflict with her country.
Club President Sandy Kane explained that the decision to admit Petrakova was made after legal advice that denying membership based on her country of origin would violate discrimination laws. The Ukrainian ambassador's wife responded that she objected to her membership not because of her country of origin, but because she represents Russia, the publication reports, citing a letter from Miroshnichenko, which the editors have reviewed.
The Women's International Club of Canberra (WIC) is a community organization founded in 1964 to foster friendships and cultural exchanges among women of different nationalities. According to the club's own information, it has over 300 members from 50 countries, including representatives of the diplomatic community and family members of diplomats.
There are no criteria for joining WIC based on shared values. The club presents membership as a privilege granted for regular participation in club activities: bridge, mahjong, tennis, book clubs, and language groups.
The exact justification for the departure of the spouses of the Italian and Estonian ambassadors was not specified.
A few days earlier, Russian Ambassador Petrakov addressed the National Press Club of Australia, calling for Ukraine to be denied military aid. Moscow condemns military aid to Kyiv and believes that Western arms supplies only prolong the conflict.
His participation in the event was then criticized by New South Wales Senator David Shoebridge and Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Miroshnichenko, who stated that he was outraged by his presence.
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