Eugene will suspend relations with its Russian sister city amidst the Ukrainian-Russian conflict.
On July 18, Eugene’s City Council voted unanimously to defund a program connecting Eugene and Irkutsk, Russia. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called on U.S. mayors to suspend relations.
Eugene and Irkutsk have been sister cities since 1988, with a goal towards shared cultural understanding. In March, Mayor Lucy Vinis penned a letter to distance the program from Russian actions. By then, the program had stalled as visitation became impractical between the U.S. and Russia. Here’s Councilor Emily Semple:
"The original purpose of it being people-to-people isn't happening.”
City Council said they would revisit a relationship with Irkutsk if conflicts de-escalate.