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

 

Nowadays is a profoundly unhappy day. Russia’s intense action is heartbreaking for the demise, suffering, and economic turmoil it will lead to in Ukraine and, indirectly at minimum, further than. Here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope that a diplomatic answer can be located and peace will return to that fragile and extended-suffering section of our earth.

Our mission at RSE is to help Individuals improved know and understand our neighbors by travel. But when we carry vacationers to yet another state, we also deliver their pounds — pounds that would guidance Putin’s aggression. Consequently, as of now, we have canceled all 2022 tours that include things like a cease in Russia.

Of training course, we will retain a near eye on unfolding occasions and observe any journey impacts via the relaxation of Europe. But it is vital 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, worked, and traveled through several intervals of tragic warfare in lands significantly from the place we guide our tours (and some nearer). And at this time, we see no cause to transform the rest of our travel and touring plans.

The tragic fact unfolding in Ukraine only reminds me how vital it is for Us citizens to keep on touring and to do so in a way that tends to make us far better and more engaged citizens of our globe. I’m flying to Europe up coming thirty day period for a 40-day journey by a dozen excellent towns from London to Athens — and I’m very pleased that countless numbers of my fellow tourists will practical experience the European journey of their goals even though obtaining loaded mastering experiences significantly from residence on a 2022 Rick Steves tour.

In the meantime, let’s be grateful for our blessings, assistance our nation’s leaders as they do their very best to navigate this crisis, and keep the troubled corners of our entire world (Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and much more) in our ideas and prayers.

—Rick