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

 

Nowadays is a profoundly sad working day. Russia’s intense motion is heartbreaking for the loss of life, struggling, and financial turmoil it will bring about in Ukraine and, indirectly at the very least, past. Right here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope that a diplomatic solution can be found and peace will return to that fragile and prolonged-suffering component of our planet.

Our mission at RSE is to assistance Us citizens improved know and recognize our neighbors by vacation. But when we carry tourists to yet another region, we also convey their pounds — bucks that would support Putin’s aggression. Thus, as of today, we have canceled all 2022 tours that contain a prevent in Russia.

Of class, we will hold a near eye on unfolding events and observe any travel impacts via the rest of Europe. But it is important to continue to keep geographic realities in brain and bear in mind that a war in Ukraine is as considerably from our European holiday goals as a war in Guatemala would be from Texas or Florida. For 40 a long time now, we have lived, worked, and traveled by way of quite a few durations of tragic warfare in lands much from in which we guide our excursions (and some nearer). And at this time, we see no purpose to improve the relaxation of our vacation and touring programs.

The tragic actuality unfolding in Ukraine only reminds me how essential it is for People in america to retain on touring and to do so in a way that would make us superior and much more engaged citizens of our entire world. I’m flying to Europe subsequent thirty day period for a 40-day excursion through a dozen good cities from London to Athens — and I’m proud that 1000’s of my fellow travelers will knowledge the European excursion of their dreams though acquiring prosperous understanding activities much from household on a 2022 Rick Steves tour.

In the meantime, let’s be grateful for our blessings, help our nation’s leaders as they do their best to navigate this disaster, and continue to keep the troubled corners of our environment (Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and additional) in our thoughts and prayers.

—Rick