The Peace Corps and Ukraine
More than 2,505 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Ukraine since the program was established in 1992. As of 2012, about 536 volunteers serve in Ukraine. Volunteers work in the areas of education, economic development, and youth development, according to the Peace Corps/Ukraine site online.
I will vet this, but think it is important for our population to recognize that the U.S. Peace Corps, which significantly supplies some of the soft-power of the U.S. State Department, had the largest program in Ukraine than any other country. The funding to support this enormous effort was very definitely the U.S. government’s attempt (under several administrations) to lure a huge chunk of the former Soviet Union toward the West and western systems.
I served there (2008-10). I have many friends there. The country is essentially a melting pot of cultures, over centuries. It’s a vibrant, wonderful people.
They want the opportunity for self-determination, opportunity and security. We used all those Peace Corps years and all that expense and experience to have Ukrainians lean West, and now we don’t want to support them?
Putin is salivating over our dysfunction and waiting out our failure to carry through when it counts.
Louise Davison
Moscow
