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

Today is a profoundly unfortunate working day. Russia’s aggressive motion is heartbreaking for the dying, suffering, and economic turmoil it will induce in Ukraine and, indirectly at the very least, beyond. Here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope that a diplomatic remedy can be found and peace will return to that fragile and long-suffering section of our environment.

Our mission at RSE is to enable Us residents better know and realize our neighbors as a result of journey. But when we bring tourists to one more nation, we also bring their bucks — bucks that would assistance Putin’s aggression. Consequently, as of today, we have canceled all 2022 excursions that contain a prevent in Russia.

Of system, we will keep a near eye on unfolding events and observe any vacation impacts as a result of the rest of Europe. But it is important to keep geographic realities in mind and keep in mind that a war in Ukraine is as much from our European vacation desires as a war in Guatemala would be from Texas or Florida. For 40 decades now, we have lived, labored, and traveled by means of many intervals of tragic warfare in lands considerably from where by we guide our excursions (and some nearer). And at this time, we see no explanation to transform the rest of our vacation and touring strategies.

The tragic truth unfolding in Ukraine only reminds me how essential it is for Us residents to continue to keep on traveling and to do so in a way that will make us much better and additional engaged citizens of our earth. I’m traveling to Europe upcoming thirty day period for a 40-working day excursion by a dozen great metropolitan areas from London to Athens — and I’m very pleased that hundreds of my fellow travelers will expertise the European vacation of their dreams although having loaded discovering experiences far from dwelling on a 2022 Rick Steves tour.

In the meantime, let us be thankful for our blessings, support our nation’s leaders as they do their greatest to navigate this crisis, and maintain the troubled corners of our earth (Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and more) in our views and prayers.

—Rick