My brain was numb even before that White House meeting with Zelensky, Trump and Vance (Z,T, V). My brain cells started to explode days earlier when Trump declared Russia’s invasion was all Ukraine’s fault. And when Trump mentioned World War III, I was suddenly back in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis when the Cold War almost went nuclear. Thankfully, the Soviet Union dissolved into 15 independent countries, including Ukraine which definitely doesn’t want to be re-colonized by Russia. So, now what?
Yuriy Bova is Mayor of Trostyanets, a Ukrainian city just 20 miles from the Russian border that endured occupation for a month. Badly damaged in fighting with Russian forces almost two years ago, Trostyanets is one of six settlements being rebuilt in a pilot program to develop the skills and experience needed for a far broader reconstruction drive.
Trostyanets is now in partnership with the City of Chattanooga whose Mayor Tim Kelly formalized a cooperative agreement with the war-torn Ukrainian city. I met Mayor Bova at a recent reception celebrating the collaboration with many city leaders and organizations like Sister Cities.
Hear Mayor Bova discuss through his translator:
The history and significance of Trostyanets and the remaining historical monuments
Trostyanets’ response to Russia’s large-scale invasion in 2022 and what the Russians did in the city
The process of rebuilding: how it began and its current status
The city’s development strategy including sports and tourism industries and attracting new investors to the community
Takeaways:
What are current threats from Russia?
What are the most important problems requiring solutions now?
What will be the benefits of this partnership with Chattanooga and how does your visit benefit your people?
I periodically become a target of all-around questioning just because originally—more than 25 years ago—I came to the US from Ukraine as a Fulbright Scholar. Of course, this gives me the leverage to deeper understand what’s going on there, and why. But I do not hold a magic ball that predicts what the future holds in a largely unpredictable country – and even more unpredictable America under the current government. So, let me just answer some of these questions and clarify my positioning.Continue reading Ukraine Makes the Headlines, Again – by Dr. Fiona Citkin→