Lawmakers OK Ukraine sister-state measure
The state Legislature on Thursday approved a measure from Sen. Bill Dodd creating a sister-state relationship between California and Lviv, Ukraine.
“One of the largest Ukrainian communities in the United States is in California, so it makes sense that we forge an official bond with the Lviv region,” said Dodd, a Napa resident, in a press statement.
“We share many mutual values, aspirations and interests including economic cooperation, academic research, cultural exploration and technological innovation,” added the lawmaker, whose 3rd Senate District spans part of the East Bay to Sacramento. “In the face of the brutal war unleashed by Russia, it is especially important to foster this sister-state relationship to promote prosperity, understanding and goodwill within the region.”
Dodd's measure comes one day after President Biden said the U.S. is rushing weaponry to Ukraine and signed a $95 billion war aid measure, which also included help for Israel, Taiwan and other global hot spots, into law.
The Ukrainian consul general in San Francisco, Dmytro Kushneruk, said, given the ongoing, twoyear-old war against Russian aggression, the sister-state relationship with California “holds deep significance.”
“It's a heartfelt recognition of our shared commitment to freedom, democracy and resilience,” he added in the prepared statement, calling the partnership between Lviv and California “more than diplomatic ties.”
“It's a symbol of hope and solidarity, a testament to the enduring spirit of our people and the unbreakable bonds that unite us,” he said.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 96, recognizing the close ties and inviting the people of Lviv to join in the sister-state relationship with California, was approved by the Assembly after previously being approved by the Senate. With the day's vote tally secure, Dodd honored a group of Ukrainian government officials on the Senate floor, said Paul Payne, a spokesman for Dodd.
Payne said Ukrainians began arriving in California in the late 19th century and now make up a population of more than 100,000 — or one in six Ukrainian immigrants in the United States. The city of Sacramento ranks first in the nation in the share of its population from Ukraine.
Lviv is in western Ukraine and is home to a variety of ethnic and religious groups. It boasts a rich tradition of education and scholarship, making it an ideal educational exchange partner, said Payne.
It is also a key region for trade and joint initiatives to promote jobs and economic growth, he added. Since the Russian military offensive, which began Feb. 24, 2022, it has received hundreds of thousands of temporarily displaced people from the eastern Ukraine, “demonstrating an unwavering resilience and strength,” Payne wrote in the news release.
California has made previous ties with Ukraine, a country with more than 43 million people and one of the largest countries in Europe. It was among the first to recognize 1932-33 Soviet-engineered Holodomor famine, which led to the deaths of nearly 7 million Ukrainians. In 2014, the state Senate approved a resolution of cooperation between the California National Guard and Ukraine. Over the years, this partnership also has made humanitarian support a constant aspect of every deployment, including helping with school repairs in the Lviv region, Payne pointed out.