The spouses of the ambassadors of Ukraine, Italy and Estonia to Australia have left Canberra's International Women's Club after Irina Petrakova, the Russian ambassador's wife, was admitted to its membership, Politico reports. The club's president stated that Petrakova was accepted because refusing membership because of her country of origin would be a violation of anti-discrimination laws. Liana Miroshenchenko, the wife of the Ukrainian ambassador, said in an email to club members that her objection was related to Petrakova's role as a representative of Russia, not her nationality. "It's not that she's a Russian woman just because she's Russian," but that she's in Australia, representing "the country that killed my cousin, burned my friend alive, took the lives of many of my friends from school and university," Miroshenchenko said. "Medina" website X/Twitter | Send news/photo/video | Advertising on the | channel help.

The spouses of the ambassadors of Ukraine, Italy and Estonia to Australia have left Canberra's International Women's Club after Irina Petrakova, the Russian ambassador's wife, was admitted to its membership, Politico reports. The club's president stated that Petrakova was accepted because refusing membership because of her country of origin would be a violation of anti-discrimination laws. Liana Miroshenchenko, the wife of the Ukrainian ambassador, said in an email to club members that her objection was related to Petrakova's role as a representative of Russia, not her nationality. "It's not that she's a Russian woman just because she's Russian," but that she's in Australia, representing "the country that killed my cousin, burned my friend alive, took the lives of many of my friends from school and university," Miroshenchenko said. "Medina" website X/Twitter | Send news/photo/video | Advertising on the | channel help.