Kyle Parker 🏴☠️
@kyleparkernet
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I have an opinion and I disagree with it.
Washington, DC
Joined April 2014
Today I visited a children’s hospital in #Kherson. During my stay artillery constantly rattled the windows—& my nerves. Before leaving, I asked the director what message she wanted me to take back to the United States. She looked me in the eyes, said thank you, & started to cry.
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A stirring rendition of an Appalachian protest song performed in #Bakhmut by Brett Hill & Benya Stewart of The fate of the free world is being decided on a Ukrainian battlefield & there’s no room for indifference. Which side are you on? На чий ти стороні?
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Appreciate Ambassador @McFaul’s efforts to create a paper trail so no one forgets that #Putin is coming after us for our service to the United States. Drafting laws is my job, not my hobby. #Magnitsky
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Long before US intel warned that war was imminent, brave Russian opposition leaders like @vkaramurza warned the West that accommodating Putin would end in tragedy. Spare a thought or prayer today for him, for his family, and for his country.
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Came to Camp Kherson in Germany today. Saw American & Ukrainian troops training shoulder-to-shoulder. #Ukraine will reconquer all its territory & millions will be spared the hell of Russian occupation as a result of the collective dedication & bravery of these warriors. 🇩🇪-🇺🇦-🇺🇸.
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Just like that, you cross the river into 🇵🇱 & no air raids, no bombed apartments, schools, hospitals, no torture chambers, “filtration” camps, or mass graves, the water & heat work, the streets are lit, & children are in school. #Ukraine fights for all this, for a normal life.
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Sergei #Magnitsky died alone in an isolation cell 8 yrs ago today. His wife & sons lost a husband & father. His country gained a heroic legacy, a light in the darkness of the legal nihilism he exposed & fell victim to. He is the anti-Pavlik Morozov, #Russia’s Man for All Seasons.
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With #Xi in Moscow, I figured I’d dust these photos off that I took in early October on the Kherson front & see if anyone else has seen Chinese munitions on the battlefield. I’ve heard credible & recent reports of Chinese 120 mm mortars near Bakhmut, but haven’t seen proof yet.
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While active duty 🇺🇸 troops aren’t dying in #Ukraine, American expats, aid workers, journalists, volunteer soldiers, & others are. Some, like Pete Reed, are killed while performing selfless acts of uncommon valor. Remember him always. ⭐️
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Experts “knew” it would take 3 months to repair the Yorktown. But Admiral Nimitz ordered her seaworthy in 3 days and so the Navy got it done in 48 hours. Just something to keep in mind when we hear how long it will take to train Ukrainians on a new weapon system. #leadership.
#OTD 1942, USS Yorktown deployed from Pearl Harbor for Midway after 1400 men worked around the clock for 48 hours to repair the severe damage the carrier had suffered at the Battle of the Coral Sea. The Japanese thought it had been sunk or too badly damaged to return to action.
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.@serhiyprytula, was impressed to see your postcard delivered to the Russian delegation at the #OSCE in Vienna. #Ukraine’s volunteer network and decentralized logistics are a marvel of efficiency under stress.
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Just reflecting back on 2022, especially my many trips to #Ukraine since February 24th, and figured I’d post a few photos. They’re unedited snapshots taken with my phone and certainly not a comprehensive presentation, merely a few moments I wanted to remember, and share.
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@RihardsKols @oscepa .@RihardsKols, your clarity of thought & language are sorely needed in the #OSCE. Thank you for your principled intervention—it’s an honor to stand by your side.
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Look Mom! My name, spelled in Russian, alongside some important people. Honored to have made the cut. 🏆
Russian general prosecutor’s office wants to interview US special agents Hyman, Schwarzman and Angert, who were investigating Natalia Veselnitskaya’s Russian client for money laundering in the Magnitsky case as part of the Putin/Trump quid pro quo agreed in Helsinki yesterday
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“More than one Lockheed employee tells me of the pride they feel when they see a HIMARS or an M270 launching rockets at Russian targets on the news.”
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@timkmak Hey Tim! I know you’ve been back for a while & must hear this a lot, but it’s a real comfort & morale boost to wake to your trademark, “Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.” Hearing it in the early days of the war when Russians were in the suburbs kept hope alive—may it always be so.
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Since 1999, Vladimir worked tirelessly to warn all who would listen that Putin could not be trusted & would bring ruin. He sat in my office a week before returning to #Russia to risk everything to rouse his countrymen against this war. No one I know has more courage or integrity.
➡️ @vkaramurza’s letter to the OSCE Permanent Council: It is nearly a year since Vladimir Putin launched his criminal, unprovoked & aggressive war against 🇺🇦. It was a year that brought carnage, grief & loss of life on a scale not seen in Europe in decades.
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In April 2009, I met @Billbrowder & first heard of Sergei Magnitsky. Later that year, on this day, Sergei was murdered in his cell. His heroic example inspired a global movement for justice that now bears his name & gives hope to those suffering under violent & corrupt regimes.
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So proud of my friend @vkaramurza, so grateful to know him, and so heartbroken over the suffering that he endures. As Russian forces bomb Ukrainian cities, Vladimir reminds us that decency and hope still exist in Russia.
"This is the price of speaking up in Russia today". Vladimir Kara-Murza delivered these remarks on Monday at the closing session of his trial on treason charges. Thank you, @washingtonpost.
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They brave daily shelling, rockets, snipers, & mines as they travel the breadth of liberated #Kherson to help those in need. No one pays them, no one’s organized them—they have no guarantees. But they are free, w/ hearts as big as the steppe & as warm as a Ukrainian sunset. 💛💙
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1/4 The “list” as rallying cry began with the “Cardin list” in 2010, became the “Magnitsky list” in 2013 & expanded to the “Global Magnitsky list” in 2017.
The next ugly move Putin makes will bring members of Congress out in droves to demand that the Russian oligarchs on the list are sanctioned. If congressional pressure and public outrage are strong enough, something will happen
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4/4 And all this will happen, not because of Russophobia, but because of high expectations rooted in an admiration for the Russian people & a hope that their government will one day assume its rightful place as a democratic European power that respects, not fears, its people.
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In 2021, the US predicted Russia’s war on #Ukraine, but @vkaramurza was right about Putin’s threat in 1999 when we 1st met. He’s been in jail for 2 yrs for warning fellow citizens of the crimes committed in their name. Thank you, Vladimir, for your courage, humanity & friendship.
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A friendly reminder to lay your outfits out—tomorrow’s no ordinary Thursday 🇺🇦
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Grateful to @SarahAshtonLV and @TiramisuActual for their brave service in defense of liberty, and for sharing their insights on combat medicine in #Ukraine with @HelsinkiComm this week.
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“Following the money, especially of those who act to enable Vladimir Putin, would have a much more immediate and far-reaching effect on the behavior of a U.S. adversary than the present focus on Russian information operations.”
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Best part of my job is meeting, working with, and occasionally becoming friends with so many people who place the good of others above their own comfort or safety. Zoya Svetova is one of those people and I was so excited to finally meet her in person tonight.
.@kyleparkernet presents the #MagnitskyAwards to Zoya Svetova for her outstanding work as a Russian journalist exposing human rights abuses in Russian prisons
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.@IcarusNetflix Dr. Rodchenkov risked his life to expose a massive state-run doping scheme. Yesterday, @HelsinkiComm heard from him directly on how to deter doping fraud in international sport. #Icarus
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A story of conversion, redemption and repentance. #Putin may have an enemy in @Billbrowder, but #Russia has a true friend.
Humbled to be one of GQ’s ‘Men of the Year’ for getting justice for Sergei Magnitsky and sanctioning Putin’s cronies
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“This is money that goes back into the American economy. And military aid to Ukraine is allowing America to rebuild its arsenal of democracy.”.
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Important reporting on the staggering losses & shortages at the front from the commander (“Kupol”) of 1 of #Ukraine’s most storied units. Their signatures adorn the flag that Zelensky unfurled in Congress & I’ve visited their positions 2x in recent months.
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Yesterday I was honored to represent my @HelsinkiComm colleagues at @ZelenskyyUa’s speech to Congress. On his way out, I gave him our first-ever patch. Like its defense, #Ukraine️’s patch game is strong, innovative, & full of humor in the worst of times. Разом до перемоги! 🇺🇦🇺🇸
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Before she signed off, she added: “Yes, I know that I look bad now. But I’m sure that I look much better than law & justice in #Ukraine,” she said. “Because they aren’t treated by anyone.”.—Kateryna Handziuk.
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@IlvesToomas And 7 of the 8 Arctic states will now be in NATO. The alliance should consider toll lanes in the GIUK gap for Russian subs transiting from their bases on the Kola Peninsula. 🇷🇺 🤡 🇷🇺.
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2/4 This morning on Capitol Hill, some enterprising staffer is printing the “Oligarch list” of 2018 & resolving to fill it with asterisks denoting inclusion on Treasury’s SDN sanctions list. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen.
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3/4 Meanwhile, across town, people in the bureaucracy, NGOs & press are committing to help that staffer “develop” the “Oligarch list,” which will take time, even years. But the Rubicon was crossed this morning.
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Powerful recognition of @vkaramurza’s undaunted eloquence from the #Pulitzer Prize Board. Vladimir’s fearless optimism in torturous conditions will change #Russia, and the world.
@hannahdreier @nytimes @stillsarita @NewYorker @sarahanneconway @city_bureau @invinst @Reuters @washingtonpost @katieengelhart @NYTmag Congratulations to @vkaramurza and @washingtonpost. #Pulitzer #FreeVladimir
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“Those who criticize the $67.1 billion approved by Congress for Ukraine argue that this money would be better spent on domestic investment. That critique, however, supposes that these congressional appropriations are akin to direct cash transfers to the Ukrainian government…”.
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@JonesRecon333 This group brings medical supplies & other aid, but the soul needs nourishment too. I’ve made 7 trips to #Ukraine since February 24 &, though I bring whatever supplies I can, my impression is that just being there to share the risk, suffering, & hope means as much, maybe more.
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Congrats, @apmassaro3!. Few are more energetic and innovative in their defense of democracy. And no one’s done more to make the fight against global corruption a US national security priority. Proud to know you, Paul, and looking forward to working together to advance the good.
We are excited to announce Paul Massaro has been appointed Staff Director of the Helsinki Commission
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.@vkaramurza said in a statement from his jail cell, "I know that the day will come when the darkness engulfing our country will clear, our society will open its eyes and shudder when it realises what crimes were committed in its name.".
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Of all my goals for this trip to #Ukraine, visiting the elderly relatives of my friend in Michigan was the most important. They live near the front in liberated territory with no power & constant shelling. We brought supplies, prayed with them, & sent video back to their family.
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🇺🇦 Godspeed!🫡.
The time has come to take back what belongs to us.
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Publication of Magnitsky Act Sanctions Regulations; Magnitsky Act-Related Designations
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Here’s the crate & a close up of the paper inside the box of primers. The Ukrainians told me they captured these from the Russians, but fully intended to return them—with extreme prejudice.
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My boys playing around in the #Kharkiv metro. Two years later, these stations gave shelter from Russian bombs to the Ukrainian children they knew as classmates, and friends. Like this photo, their memories are now blurry, but they know this war is real—and must be won. 🇺🇦
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For me, the tragedy of this war is so immense that it overwhelms, even numbs, the senses. Then a photo like this breaks through & swamps me with fresh grief for all that Ukrainians are suffering—right now.
Instead of a thousand words. The little dog is lying in the ruins of its home in Lviv region. The dog's people were killed by a Russian rocket today. 📷: suspilne
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A WWII care package from volunteers back home probably included a deck of cards, wool socks, & a pack of smokes. These days, Ukrainian volunteers pass the hat & send their soldiers care packages that include armored vehicles, a reconnaissance satellite, radars, & lethal drones.
For the first time in history, the people bought 101 APCs for their Military. This is about Ukrainians!🇺🇦. The biggest ever batch of tracked armored vehicles supplied not on the state level but by the people. Thank you all who donated from Ukraine and abroad! . First 24/101 here.
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@SarahAshtonLV Happy new year to you Sarah! And thanks for all that you’re doing to make 2023 a year of victory, justice, peace, and prosperity.
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On behalf of my colleagues @HelsinkiComm, I went to #Dnipro to pay respects to the victims of Russia’s terrorist attack on innocent civilians and to strengthen my resolve to do whatever I can to hasten Ukraine’s total victory, restoration of its 1991 borders, and reconstruction.
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Area Man Recognized By Kremlin For Efforts To Solve Largest Tax Heist In Russian History, Regrets Missing Award Ceremony In Siberia Due To Prior Commitment. #MagnitskyAct #mepolitics.
#Maine man is on Putin’s wish list of Americans he’d like Trump to let Russia interrogate #mepolitics.
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This may be the longest single piece that I’ve read on this year of war, but it’s also one of the best. There’s plenty of analysis, but also a strong human dimension. I finished it even prouder of the committed public servants that met this awful moment with decency and resolve.
One year ago, Russia launched Europe's first major land war since World War II. An oral history of how the U.S. and its allies saw the warning signs of Russia's invasion and rallied to prepare Ukraine, told by key officials in the highest ranks of power👇.
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To any Ukrainians who happen to see this, I hope that you can find some comfort in knowing that millions of Americans go about their days with you, your sufferings, and your sacrifices in mind. We know that you defend all that we hold dear—thank you, and merry Christmas!
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.@MykolaKuleba—17 children saved, 17 families restored, countless friends lost but found again. The good you’ve done with just this one rescue mission is for all time. Thank you for creating hope in one of the darkest corners of this awful war. 💛💙.
17 Ukrainian children deported by Russia to its territory are finally in Ukraine.
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@MelaniePodolyak @serhiyprytula What a great photo! It was an honor to meet you both today. Thank you for standing strong for all that we hold dear. #Ukraine fights for our freedom too.
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#Putin crony in #Bitkov case sanctioned by United States today. Two days ago, he admitted role in persecuting this family and joined @ABAesq in @WSJopinion praising anti-corruption work of @CICIGgt. #WithFriendsLikeThese
Vladimir Putin’s cronies continue to hurt those who defy their corruption. We must hold these individuals accountable. Read my letter to editor in the @WSJ w/ fellow @HelsinkiComm member @SenatorCardin here: #Magnitsky #Russia.
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Read this today & weep for the lives lost to Russian terrorism, for the trauma inflicted on survivors, & for the cities razed to the ground. But then get up & do something to hasten #Ukraine’s victory. Разом до перемоги! 💛💙
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The yellow and blue on display just over 100 meters from the line of contact in #Donetsk oblast. This courageous act of defiance to Russia’s absurd “annexation” is emblematic of the patriotic fervor of the Ukrainian nation.
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Couldn’t take pictures, but was gifted this cool patch, which will occupy a place of honor in my growing collection.
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So proud of my colleagues @HelsinkiComm. They work around the clock for Ukrainian victory, are nearly all sanctioned by Russia, and half of our policy staff have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukrainians—in Ukraine—since February 24, 2022.
Filled with inspiration and gratitude for the Ukrainian people after our delegation’s visit to Kyiv with Chairman @RepJoeWilson, Ranking Member @RepCohen, Commissioner @RepSpartz, and Ambassador @mikercarpenter. Ukraine fights for all of us. Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
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Possibly my favorite line of this presidency—and just four little words. Simple, true, devastating.
"How would you respond to the [claims of Russian Foreign affairs ministry] that supplying F-16s is a colossal risk?" - @POTUS was asked in Hiroshima at the G7 Summit. "It is for them" he replied.
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On Capitol Hill today as August looms, saw this 🌻 & stopped for a moment to remember #Ukraine—its people, its culture, its beautiful cities & nature, all braving an unprovoked, genocidal attack as we go about our days, enjoying the freedoms they’re fighting to restore. 🫡
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@ekaramurza @vkaramurza Evgenia, you, Vladimir, & your children are always in my heart. Our friendship over the years means everything to me. As does your examples of living with a radical integrity & level of interior freedom known only to saints & heroes. Thank you both for showing us all how to live.
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Incredible documentary on a group of Ukrainian soldiers who love American football. I just wasn’t up for watching the Super Bowl tonight, but happened across this and it really lifted my spirits. Well done @KyleBrandt!.
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Vladimir’s, and democratic Russia’s, best chance for freedom is for fascist Russia’s timely and total defeat in #Ukraine.
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Thank you @serhiyprytula for the warm reception in #Kyiv. But most of all, thank you for the life saving work that you and your team do to bring victory closer. We’re lucky to have such allies and honored to call you friends.
Met with a good friend of our Foundation @kyleparkernet. Thank you for all the work you do at @HelsinkiComm to support Ukraine! We are talking about not peace, but victory. Important to have a solid support in the tough fight Ukraine is going through right now.
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August on the coast of Maine. It’s good to be home. 🌲🦞
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With “Kupol” on the southern front in the happier days of October, buoyed by the liberation of Kharkiv oblast & headed to Kherson. The 46th got this trophy T-80 running & brought it with them to the fight when they redeployed around Bakhmut in December.
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.@HenriDiasamidze was just scrolling Twitter looking for updates from #Ukraine and saw your happy face spreading Christmas cheer. Thank you for warming these children’s hearts in Kyiv, and mine too here in Washington.
to soldiers. I talked to our students and asked how much an average present costs. They said about $10. Some people buy something simple, just candies. Kids are loving it, they are melting from happiness. I came out of the building and hid to cry. I couldn’t help it. Why? 5/
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Hope, in the flesh.
A two months old baby was rescued from the rubble in Turkey 128 hours after the earthquake.
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.@MykolaKuleba helps heal the broken hearts of Ukrainian families torn apart by Russia’s genocidal war. Because of @SaveukraineUs’s work, 100s of children have been spared the hell of Russian captivity & will grow up at home in a free Ukraine that needs their love & laughter.
The nonprofit Save Ukraine has rescued more than 200 Ukrainian children, from kindergarteners to teenagers, who have been abducted by Russia.
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1/2 From @HelsinkiComm & #Ukraine’s closest friends in the #OSCEPA to the people of Ukraine—as you suffer Russia’s attacks on your cities & fight the aggressor on the battlefield, know that you are never alone in your courageous struggle for a secure & democratic future.
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There were very few moments of levity during my recent trip to #Ukraine with @BlueYellowUKR, but finding the correct sized coveralls as well as an appropriate gift for the director at a major factory was definitely one of those moments.
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