My husband's father was born in Russia in 1908. In August 1914, my husband's grandfather was arrested at his home, in front of his wife and three sons. Cec's father was the oldest child and he never forgot that day. His grandfather was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Siberia. We were told by a genealogist in Salt Lake City, he would have been part of the resistance. For four and half years his grandmother and the children lived off the land. The youngest son died of small pox. She had no money for doctors or medicine. Their life was horrible. When his grandfather was released they saved and when they could. they moved to Canada.
Hearing the stories of the suffering and starvation they went through was horrible. Cec's father warned of the Russians and told us never to go to Russia or trust a Russian. He never let go of the fear of someone coming to your home and arresting you. It was vivid in his memory until the day he passed away in 1985.
We did go to Russia eight years ago and often thought of the things he told us. Of course, Russia is a different country now, or is it? We only saw St. Petersburg as tourists. When we saw the opulence of Catherine's Palace, it made me sick to think of how people lived so many years ago so they could live like they did.
Today, watching Ms. Yovanovich's testimony, I remembered everything my father-in-law warned us about. Here is an excerpt from her opening statement in case you didn't hear it:
"We see the potential in Ukraine. Russia, by contrast, sees the risk. The history is not written yet, but Ukraine could move out of Russia’s orbit. And now Ukraine is a battleground for great power competition, with a hot war for the control of territory and a hybrid war to control Ukraine’s leadership. The U.S. has provided significant security assistance since the onset of the war against Russia in 2014. And as is well-known, the Trump administration strengthened our policy by approving the provision to Ukraine of anti-tank missiles known as Javelins.
Supporting Ukraine is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing to do. If Russia prevails and Ukraine falls to Russian dominion, we can expect to see other attempts by Russia to expand its territory and influence.
Here, again, there is a coincidence of interests. Corrupt leaders are inherently less trustworthy, while an honest and accountable Ukrainian leadership makes a U.S.-Ukrainian partnership more reliable and more valuable to the United States. A level playing field in this strategically-located country bordering four NATO allies, creates an environment in which U.S. business can more easily trade, invest, and profit. Corruption is also a security issue, because corrupt officials are vulnerable to Moscow. In short, it is in America’s national security interest to help Ukraine transform into a country where the rule of law governs and corruption is held in check. It was— and remains—a top U.S. priority to help Ukraine fight corruption. Significant progress has been made since the 2014 Revolution of Dignity.
Unfortunately, as the past couple of months have underlined, not all Ukrainians embraced our anti-corruption work. Thus, perhaps, it was not surprising, that when our anti-corruption efforts got in the way of a desire for profit or power, Ukrainians who preferred to play by the old, corrupt rules sought to remove me. What continues to amaze me is that they found Americans willing to partner with them and, working together, they apparently succeeded in orchestrating the removal of a U.S. Ambassador.
How could our system fail like this? How is it that foreign corrupt interests could manipulate our government?
Which country’s interests are served when the very corrupt behavior we have been criticizing is allowed to prevail? Such conduct undermines the U.S., exposes our friends, and widens the playing field for autocrats like President Putin. Our leadership depends on the power of our example and the consistency of our purpose. Both have now been opened to question."
That gives you so much to think about!
