• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, April 1, 2022

Imagine if all the Russian ambassadors and consul generals around the world suddenly found that the embassies and consulates they run were located on “Free Ukraine Street,” or “Independent Ukraine Boulevard?”

That would be quite a show of support for Ukraine, which has been fighting off an unprovoked Russian invasion for more than a month now.

That’s the general idea behind a new campaign launched this week by Ukraine’s Be-It Agency that urges countries worldwide to rename the streets where Russian embassies and consulates are located.

According to the agency, some countries have already signed up, including Canada which has renamed a Toronto square in front of the Russian Consulate there “Ukrainian Square.”

Albania has renamed part of the street where the Russian embassy is located to “Free Ukraine Street.” Albania, Lithuania, Latvia and Norway have also made similar name changes to streets housing Russian embassies.

“Forcing Russian embassies around the globe to be located on Ukraine Streets is part of our worldwide effort to isolate Russia and deputize the world,” stated Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. “Russians will have to literally read the name ‘Ukraine’ everywhere and anytime. A daily reminder that Ukraine is a sovereign state which will prevail and which will always exist, no matter how hard Russia tries to deny our right to exist.”

The campaign website https://www.uastreet.world/ contains links to petitions to rename the streets with the aggressor state’s embassies and consulates in 53 cities in 34 countries worldwide. The list will be extended further as the campaign develops.

Petitioners are encouraged to share links to the effort to friends and family and to appeal directly to local authorities for the name changes.

The effort also has Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn components.