Burlington, Vt. (March 3, 2022) “The Burlington/Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program is disappointed by the governor’s recently announced executive order calling for Vermont’s Russian sister cities to ‘suspend or terminate’ their relationships. This is a counterproductive measure that will only serve to further isolate the people of Russia, many of whom do not support this military action as evidenced by the thousands of Russians protesting in the streets at great personal risk.
“The Burlington/Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program unequivocally condemns the Russian government’s military actions in Ukraine. Although we share the governor’s aim of showing support for the Ukrainian people, we do not believe that suspending sister city relations is conducive to helping Ukrainians or ending the war.
“Sister cities are not relationships between governments by design – they are people-to- people relationships, focused on promoting understanding and keeping channels of communication open, even in times of political turmoil. Cutting off people-to-people relationships cuts off dialogue or a way forward.
“It bears reminding that the modern sister or twin city “movement” was born out of the ashes of WWII with three principal belligerents – France, Germany, United Kingdom – forming sister city relationships between towns that were heavily bombed. Private citizens formed sister cities to heal cultural ties and build relationships around common understanding rather than the militaristic whims of their governments. Our relationship with the people of Yaroslavl began during the Cold War and has persisted for over three decades through several political crises and military conflicts.
“Not supporting the institutions that create better relationships between people and countries is counterproductive. Many Russians oppose the war and feel shame and outrage that their government has taken this action in Ukraine. Keeping a channel of communication open is more important than ever. We call on Governor Scott to reconsider this aspect of Executive Order No. 02-22.
The Burlington/Yaroslavl Sister Cities Program, Inc., is a non-profit organization registered with the State of Vermont. It is not a municipal entity. We have a Tax ID Number with both the State and the Federal Government. We receive $2,000 annually from the City of Burlington as a cultural organization representing Burlington in Russia.
