Chicago is suspending its relationship with one of its sister cities, Moscow, amid Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Tuesday that the city would be cutting ties with Russia’s capital to demonstrate the people of the city “strongly condemn” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We must send an unambiguous message: We strongly condemn all actions by the Putin regime,” Lightfoot said. “We must continue to support freedom-loving people everywhere and ordinary Russians in their desire to be free.”
Lightfoot indicated that the city would be suspending its relationship with Moscow “until the end of hostilities against Ukraine and the Putin regime is held accountable for its crimes.”
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Last Friday, Chicago Sister Cities International and World Business Chicago, which oversee the partnership, released a statement saying that their mission was more “vital” than ever in bringing communities together through “mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.”
“Chicago is home to a large and proud Ukrainian American community. We stand in solidarity with Ukrainians here and across the world in support of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” the organizations wrote, adding that the Kyiv and Moscow committees of CSCI were “saddened by current events, condemn the acts of aggression against Ukraine, and are committed to promoting understanding through citizen-to-citizen diplomacy.”
Other regional governments are severing ties with Russia in light of the country’s aggression. On Monday, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Maryland was cutting its “Sister State” partnership with the Leningrad region in Russia, writing in a letter to Leningrad Oblast Gov. Aleksandr Drozdenko that it was “the duty of every government to remain vigilant of unlawful acts against public order, democratic principles and innocent civilians.
Chicago has 29 international sister cities with 600 “citizen diplomat volunteers” who carry out the program, according to CSCI.
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Many cities in the United States have sister cities across the world that forge partnerships through cultural, economic, and other ties.
