Dear Editor:
The March 4 Ukrainian Day in Washington gave our team an opportunity to visit our congressional representative’s staff and express our concerns that the U.S. must help Ukraine stay free and provide tools to defend itself against Russian aggression and the annexation of Ukrainian territory.
We spoke of the Budapest Memorandum and how Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for security assurances. We asked questions, we discussed the Ukraine Freedom Support Act passed by the 113th Congress and signed by President Barack Obama. And we asked what we could do to get the U.S. to implement this act’s provisions, which are urgently needed, before it’s too late. We also spoke of Ukrainian communities in Utica and Binghamton, N.Y. We urged our congressman to join the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus.
Normally, teams get to meet the congressional staff to discuss the visiting group’s concerns and requests. Our team was delighted to have Rep. Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.) join our discussion before he had to return to the House for a vote. Nicholas J. Stewart, Rep. Hanna’s legislative assistant, summarized our discussion points. When Mr. Stewart echoed our request that Rep. Hanna join the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, it was pleasant to hear the response “make it happen.”
On March 16, our team received the pleasing confirmation that Congressman Hanna had joined the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus.
Binghamton N.Y.