Thoughts on Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – Rick Steves’ Travel Blog

 

These days is a profoundly sad working day. Russia’s aggressive motion is heartbreaking for the demise, suffering, and economic turmoil it will trigger in Ukraine and, indirectly at minimum, further than. Listed here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope that a diplomatic option can be observed and peace will return to that fragile and very long-struggling part of our world.

Our mission at RSE is to assistance Us residents much better know and recognize our neighbors through vacation. But when we carry travelers to yet another nation, we also carry their dollars — dollars that would help Putin’s aggression. Thus, as of nowadays, we have canceled all 2022 excursions that include a quit in Russia.

Of program, we will maintain a near eye on unfolding situations and keep an eye on any travel impacts by way of the rest of Europe. But it is important to keep geographic realities in mind and remember that a war in Ukraine is as considerably from our European trip desires as a war in Guatemala would be from Texas or Florida. For 40 a long time now, we have lived, labored, and traveled by numerous periods of tragic warfare in lands much from where by we guide our tours (and some closer). And at this time, we see no explanation to transform the relaxation of our travel and touring ideas.

The tragic reality unfolding in Ukraine only reminds me how critical it is for Individuals to continue to keep on traveling and to do so in a way that can make us better and extra engaged citizens of our environment. I’m traveling to Europe following thirty day period for a 40-day vacation by a dozen terrific metropolitan areas from London to Athens — and I’m very pleased that thousands of my fellow travelers will working experience the European trip of their desires when having prosperous mastering activities considerably from household on a 2022 Rick Steves tour.

In the meantime, let’s be grateful for our blessings, guidance our nation’s leaders as they do their best to navigate this crisis, and retain the troubled corners of our earth (Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and far more) in our ideas and prayers.

—Rick