In a formal ceremony held Wednesday at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, D.C., Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), was honored with Ukraine’s prestigious Order of Merit. The decoration was authorized by a presidential decree from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, dated August 24, 2025, in recognition of Sir Ronald’s exceptional contributions to reinforcing bilateral cooperation and upholding Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity amid ongoing Russian aggression.
Denys Sienik, Ukraine’s Chargé d’affaires, presented the award on behalf of President Zelenskyy, and opened the ceremony by praising Sir Ronald as “an outstanding diplomat, a principled statesman, and a true friend of Ukraine.” Sienik emphasized that under Sir Ronald’s leadership, the Antigua and Barbuda mission to the OAS has been a central catalyst for the hemispheric body’s formal response to Russia’s full-scale 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Sienik detailed the key diplomatic efforts led by Sir Ronald, from initiating early multilateral action and drafting compromise negotiation texts to mobilizing broad cross-regional support for OAS resolutions and declarations backing Ukraine. These landmark actions include the February 2022 public declaration that formally condemned Russia’s invasion, the March 2022 resolution demanding an immediate full military withdrawal from all Ukrainian territory, and the historic April 2022 vote that stripped Russia of its Permanent Observer status at the OAS. Beyond these early votes, Sienik also highlighted Sir Ronald’s consistent advocacy at subsequent OAS General Assembly sessions and his sustained public engagement through widely circulated op-eds and commentaries that reinforce global support for Ukraine.
Accepting the honor, Sir Ronald stressed that the award was as much a recognition of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda as it was of his individual work, noting that the Caribbean nation’s support for Ukraine is rooted in the core principles that underpin its own national sovereignty. “For Antigua and Barbuda, and for smaller nations everywhere, sovereignty is the freedom to govern ourselves, preserve our identity and decide how our people will live,” Sir Ronald stated. “International law protects that freedom. When it is violated with impunity in one country, its protection is weakened for all.”
He added that while the people of Ukraine bear the direct human cost of the war, the principles they defend are universal: “our unequal power does not diminish our equal rights.” Expressing heartfelt solidarity with Ukrainian families who have lost loved ones or been displaced by the conflict, Sir Ronald reiterated his call for a just and lasting peace that fully respects Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and sovereign right to self-determination.
“They also deserve the support of every nation that believes in justice, international law, democracy and the right of all peoples to live free from threats and coercion,” he concluded.