Skip to content
Call Us Today! 212-533-4646 | MON-FRI 12PM - 4PM (EST)
DONATE
SUBSCRIBE
Search for:
About Us
Publications
FAQ
Annual Report 2023
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2021
Initiatives
Advocate
Educate
Cultivate
Care
News
Newsletters
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Join UNWLA
Become a Member
Volunteer With Us
Donate to UNWLA
Members Portal
Calendar
Shop to Support Ukraine
Search for:
Print
Print Page
Download
Download Page
Download Right Page
Open
1
2-3
4-5
6-7
8-9
10-11
12-13
14-15
16-17
18-19
20-21
22-23
24-25
26-27
28-29
30-31
32-33
34-35
36-37
38-39
40
Our Life | Наше життя August | Серпень 2021 35 such, I got a front row seat to Ukraine’s evolution from one of 15 Soviet republics and a “captive nation” into a country that, at 30, has held on to its independence yet still struggles to maintain its territorial integrity, secure its place in the world, and create a successful path to democracy. The changes I have seen in the past three decades – big and small – have been extraordinary. When I first began traveling to Ukraine, I couldn’t imagine that the odd private restaurant and occasional privately owned shop would mushroom into modern-day malls, presenting Ukrainians with the goods and services they had been denied for decades. I could not have anticipated that children born in the waning days of the USSR would become adults who consider them - selves citizens of the world – individuals who interact with the outside world on their own terms, who explore it through the Internet, global media, and travels abroad. As I worked with U.S. military delegations meeting their Ukrainian counterparts, I witnessed the transformation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces – woefully undertrained and ill- equipped – into a fierce fighting force, battle-hardened by a real war on its Eastern border with Russia. I saw a diplomatic corps, weakened by the defection of many of its diplomats to Russia in the early 1990s, rebuild itself and become a strong and capable Ministry of Foreign Affairs, adept at advocating for Ukraine’s interests on the global stage. And I personally witnessed as Ukrainian, a language long repressed and ridiculed, was elevated for use in the White House. I was there when, for the first time in history, an American president uttered “Welcome to the Oval Office” to a president of an independent Ukraine. On that May day in 1992, I had the honor of interpreting those very words, spoken by President Bill Clinton, into Ukrainian, for President Leonid Kravchuk ... as I did for every succeeding President. Ukraine at 30 is far from perfect. Serious challenges remain: rooting out pervasive corruption, revitalizing a stagnant economy, negotiating a peaceful end to the war with Rus - sia, restructuring the judiciary and the healthcare and edu- cation systems, and rejuvenating the cultural landscape. But if Ukraine were a person whose 30th birthday we were cel- ebrating, would we speak about that person’s mistakes and shortcomings? After blowing out the candles on the birthday cake, would we say, “I hope you eradicate corruption”? No, I would say, “Well done, Ukraino! Celebrate everything you have achieved despite the odds, despite your burdensome Soviet past and insidious neighbor. I wish you strength and determination to make progress on all your goals. May you have a long and happy life. Mnohaya lita!” Independence Day, Hunter, NY, August 24, 1991 Clinton-Kuchma Oval Office meeting, November 22, 1994 At the inauguration of President Yushchenko, Kyiv, January 23, 2005 At the Orange Revolution, Kyiv, November 2004
Page load link
Go to Top
1 
2-3 
4-5 
6-7 
8-9 
10-11 
12-13 
14-15 
16-17 
18-19 
20-21 
22-23 
24-25 
26-27 
28-29 
30-31 
32-33 
34-35 
36-37 
38-39 
40 
