Studying at UCU is always interesting. During an ordinary English class, two Democratic congressmen from the USA, now retired, visited the students: Jim McDermott (Washington State) and David Bonior (Michigan). They traveled to Ukraine with Roman Catholic priest Fr. Peter Daly from the National Catholic Reporter. The guests talked with the students about Russia’s war against Ukraine, support from the USA, and possible scenarios for the development of events.
The American guests came to the classes of Bob Wood and Irene Danysh, native English speakers who came to Ukraine from the USA to teach UCU students the English language.
Here are some of the points the guests discussed with the students:
- Veterans are people who dedicated their lives to their country, neighbors, and society. It is very important to bring their background of service and the common good into political life.
- Work in the public service, in the social and medical spheres is also a service for the creation of the common good. The problem is that many politicians in the world often serve themselves or lobby the interests of certain business groups, companies, for the sake of enrichment.
- Be in coalition with those who believe the same as you. NATO countries, the EU, being together, are very strong now. And we must make sure that it will continue to be so. And this requires leadership, represented in particular by your president. Today, the leadership of Ukrainians and the Ukrainian military commands great respect throughout the world.
- We Americans feel this war very keenly. We stand side by side with people in Ukraine. We must together stop this unjust war, and assist the victory of Ukraine. We must help rebuild Ukraine.
- This is not just Putin’s war. Because if he dies, the Russians will continue it.
- We’re sorry that America was slow to realize what was happening in Ukraine. Our actions should have been more decisive regarding the invasion of Ukraine in 2014. Russian propaganda, which has been working for many years in the world, is quite effective, unfortunately. And many people still believe it. So, we have a lot of work to do.
- A few years ago, when people said they were from Ukraine, most did not know where it was. Now people stand up and applaud when they hear that someone is from Ukraine.
Fr. Peter Daly, Jim McDermott, David Bonier
