Wait. What? US cities are supplying Russia with weapons to use against Ukraine!?

Yes. And here’s how. 

Sister Cities International sent a letter to US Mayors, claiming that ending US-RU sister cities “[Though it seems] on the surface, like a positive policy protest action, it has the complete opposite effect.”

This is not true!  IN FACT, US cities —through their sister city relationships—help to craft Russia’s propaganda, that “all is normal”, and this is merely a “special operation”.

Let’s break this down:

1. The Russian Federation calls the invasion of Ukraine a “simple operation” for the denazification of Ukraine.
2. In fact, the invasion of Ukraine is an act of terrorism and aggression against a sovereign country to eviscerate not just the people and buildings of Ukraine, but the Ukrainian language, Ukrainian history, and Ukrainian culture.
3. Russian propaganda uses the term “special operation” to lie to Russians about the mission and to normalize aggressive nationalism through the deliberate mass killings of Ukrainians to destroy the Ukrainian language, Ukrainian history, and Ukrainian culture. 
4. The term “special operation” and the false claim of the denazification of Ukraine is a weapon supplied to Russians to use against Ukrainians.
5. US cities - through their sister city relationships with Russia - voluntarily allow themselves to be used in Russian propaganda, saying “all is well" and this is a “special operation”!  (YES, this IS happening! See below.)
6. Therefore, through these relationships, US cities are supplying Russia with weapons to use against Ukraine.  

Maintaining ties is a dangerous alignment, morally indefensible, and civically reckless.

• City government officials have an obligation to act in the best interest of their constituents, both morally and civically.
• Please read the update and share this information. Then, recruit more signatures!
• We cannot turn our backs on this…

What we know:

A "Friendship Bridge" event between the Portland-Khabarovsk Sister Cities was held on March 2, 2022 - nearly a week after Russia started the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

• Dozens of Ukrainian children had been killed, and Bucha had been occupied by Russian troops when Portland-Khabarovsk Sister City organization decided to hold the "Friendship Bridge" event and film Portland children for Russian propaganda TV and Russian media outlets. 
• Khabarovsk is home to one of the Russian troops that brutally massacred civilians in Bucha.
• The event included Portland Public School teacher, Zoya Surits, filmed at Franklin High School, together with several PPS children. The event also included a government representative of the City of Khabarovsk, Andrey Khmara, who was with Russian children in Khabarovsk.

This US-RU Sister City "Friendship Bridge" event is used in Russian propaganda:

• The event was aired on a Russian state-controlled TV channel in Khabarovsk. (see link below) 
• And pushed out on YouTube, Instagram Facebook, Telegram, V Kontakte (a Russian media and social networking service), and Odnoklassniki (another Russian social networking service).
• In covering the event, a Khabarovsk newspaper (DVHAB.RU), on June 5, 2022, quotes Portland city officials as saying, “that the suspension or termination of the relationship with our Russian partner city should not be the cities' response to the special operation in Ukraine.” (see link below)
• Andrey Khmara, a Khabarovsk city government official, is quoted in this article referencing the March "Friendship Bridge" event while discussing the relationship between Portland, America, and Russia. (see link below)
• The same Khabarovsk city government official, Andrey Khmara, that visited Portland in June 2014 (after Russia invaded and annexed Crimea and started the genocide of Crimean Tatars), curated the March 2022 “Friendship Bridge” event between Portland children and Khabarovsk children. (see link below)

Again…let’s make this known to EVERYONE. 

• SHARE this information. Then, recruit more signatures!
• City government officials have an obligation to act in the best interest of their constituents, both morally and civically.

Khabarovsk–Portland Sister City "Friendship Bridge" 

"The United States Ignored the Call to Cut Ties with Khabarovsk”

VIP Greeting of Khabarovsk Russian Delegation in Portland