Maintaining Russian sister city ties is morally indefensible and civically reckless.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is an illegal, premeditated, unprovoked, brutal act of terrorism, genocide, and aggression against a sovereign country - committing mass civilian killings, maiming, heinous acts of sexual violence, torturing, human trafficking, and forcibly deporting Ukrainians to “filtration” camps.

“This is not a war—this is a slaughter.” ~ City Commissioner Hagen Brody, Sarasota, Florida

Bombing, burning, and leveling of villages and cities - deliberately bombing civilian infrastructure, shelling schools, maternity wards, hospitals, homes, and apartment buildings, and holding a nuclear power plant and global food supplies hostage.

“It is the duty of every government to remain vigilant of unlawful acts against public order, democratic principles, and innocent civilians.”  ~Governor Larry Hogan, Baltimore, Maryland

These inhumane practices of genocide and acts of terrorism are ongoing, in real-time…

• Yet even though one of the Russian troops that raped, tortured, and murdered citizens in Bucha, Ukraine was from Khabarovsk, Russia – the sister city of Portland – the City of Portland has not yet severed its ties Khabarovsk.
• And even though some of the deadliest Russian missiles are designed and manufactured in Yekaterinburg, Russia – the sister city of San Jose – the City of San Jose has not severed its ties Yekaterinburg.
• Most US-Russia sister cities have not yet severed their ties with their sister city of Russia. 

U.S. Cities—through their sister city relationships—hand the Russian Federation the ammunition to kill innocent Ukrainians:

• The Russian Federation calls the invasion of Ukraine a “special operation”.
• Russian propaganda cites U.S. officials referring to the invasion of Ukraine as a “special operation” to illustrate that the U.S. supports Russia, that “all is normal” and that this is merely a “special operation”.

Why “special operation” matters:

• The term “special operation” is a term that is used to lie to and rally Russians to carry out genocide and acts of terrorism under the guise of “denazification”.
• The term “special operation” is the crux and ammunition of the Russian invasion of Ukraine - to eviscerate not just the people and the buildings of Ukraine, but also to destroy the Ukrainian language, Ukrainian history, and Ukrainian culture.  
• This is genocide. This is not a “special operation”.

"If we're going to be a part of a global community, we've got to stand up at times like this and make our intentions and our feelings known.” ~Mayor Eric Johnson, Dallas, Texas

"Don't make any excuses; don't maintain relations with Russia. And please don't let those who became murderers call your cities their sister cities.” ~President Zelenskyy at the United States Conference of Mayors meeting, June 3, 2022.

WE MUST DEMAND CHANGE - City government officials have an obligation to act in the best interest of their constituents, both morally and civically. Unlike most Russians, we can publicly tell elected representatives to change course without fearing repression. Let's do it!

SIGN THE PETITION - Every voice needs to be heard, regardless of your zip code, regardless of your country. Join your name alongside others from the US and those around the world:

• to demand U.S. Mayors do their civic duty—to cut ties with their Russian sister cities.
• to signal that the world condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine!

THEN - Recruit 5 friends to ask 10 of their friends to sign, then share. 

We elect our leaders, fund our cities’ operations, and abide by its laws and regulations. We have a say in how our cities operate.