February 17, 2021
Good afternoon and welcome to the launch of Mark Eliot’s biography of President Ronald Reagan.
I would first like to thank Ambassador Nadolenko and his team at the Diplomatic Academy for sponsoring this event. The U.S. Embassy has worked closely with the Diplomatic Academy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ukrainian Institute for a number of years, and we look forward to continuing this partnership.
I would also like to thank former First Lady Kateryna Yuschenko for her participation today and her generosity in sharing her personal stories about President Reagan.
I am from California, where President Reagan served as governor prior to becoming President. I visited his presidential library – located in Simi Valley, California a few years ago and can highly recommend it as a fascinating snapshot of a very important time in our history.
The impact President Reagan had on California, the United States, and the world cannot be overstated.
The forces that President Reagan helped unleash led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the sovereign nation of Ukraine.
President Reagan’s world view– unwavering support of freedom, economic dynamism, democratic rule and self-determination are just as important today as they were then.
For the past 30 years the United States has been, and remains, a steadfast partner of Ukraine.
The United States is committed to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and we stand with Ukraine in promoting transparency and rule of law and actively combatting disinformation campaigns that threaten the security of this country.
So it is an honor to be a part of this event, which pays tribute to an early champion of democracy and freedom in Ukraine and the entire region.
Our Embassy is proud to have supported the translation of this biography through our book translation program. As an expression of gratitude to the Diplomatic Academy, the U.S. Embassy will donate several copies of the book to the academy’s library.
I would also like to thank the publishers, and the translator for their efforts in this project.
I want to thank all of you for joining us today to honor President Reagan. President Reagan would have been 110 years old this February 6, and I’m sure he would be proud to see how his efforts are now reflected in the strong relationship between Ukraine and the United States.
