Working visit to the United States by Ambassador Yovanovitch, next to H.R. McMaster, National Security Advisor; Vice President Pence, President Donald J. Trump, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ... June 20, 2017
Before I close, I must share the deep disappointment and dismay I have felt as these events have unfolded. I have served this nation honorably for more than 30 years. I have proudly promoted and served American interests as the representative of the American people and six different presidents over the last three decades. Throughout that time, I — like my colleagues at the State Department — have always believed that we enjoyed a sacred trust with our government.
We make a difference every day on issues that matter to the American people — whether it is war and peace, trade and investment, or simply helping with a lost passport. We repeatedly uproot our lives, and we frequently put ourselves in harm’s way to serve this nation. And we do that willingly, because we believe in America and its special role in the world. We also believe that, inreturn,our government will have our backs and protect us if we come under attack from foreign interests. That basic understanding no longer holds true. Today, we see the State Department attacked and hollowed out from within. State Department leadership, with Congress, needs to take action now to defend this great institution, and its thousands of loyal and effective employees. We need to rebuild diplomacy as the first resort to advance America’s interests and the front line of America’s defense. I fear that not doing so will harm our nation’s interest, perhaps irreparably.
That harm will come not just through the inevitable and continuing resignation and loss of many of this nation’s most loyal and talented public servants. It also will come when those diplomats who soldier on and do their best to represent our nation face partners abroad who question whether the ambassador truly speaks for the President and can be counted upon as a reliable partner. The harm will come when private interests circumvent professional diplomats for their own gain, not the public good. The harm will come when bad actors in countries beyond Ukraine see how easy it is to use fiction and innuendo to manipulate our system. In such circumstances, the only interests that will be served are those of our strategic adversaries, like Russia, that spread chaos and attack the institutions and norms that the U.S. helped create and which we have benefited from for the last 75 years.
I am proud of my work in Ukraine. The U.S. Embassy, under my leadership, represented and advanced the policies of the United States government as articulated, first by the Obama Administration and then by the Trump Administration. Our efforts were intended, and evidently succeeded, in thwarting corrupt interests in Ukraine, who fought back by selling baseless conspiracy theories to anyone who would listen. Sadly, someone was listening, and our nation is the worse off for that. Thank you for your attention. I welcome your questions.
More Articles
- Government Accountability Office Findings - Antibiotic Resistance: Federal Agencies Have Taken Steps to Combat the Threat, But Additional Actions Needed
- Merrick B. Garland Administers the Oath of Allegiance and Delivers Congratulatory Remarks at Ellis Island Ceremony in Celebration of Constitution Week and Citizenship Day
- Board of Governors: Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee June 14–15, 2022; Consumer Price Inflation Remained Elevated
- Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Commencement Address to the Harvard Classes of 2020 and 2021 Cambridge, MA ~ Sunday, May 29, 2022
- The Horror; A “Vacuum Bomb"; Do You Remember the First Time You Heard the Term 'Atomic Bomb'?
- From The Desk of Secretary Antony J. Blinken, US Department of State
- To Become a Citizen After Birth, You Must: Apply For “derived” or “acquired” Citizenship Through Parents; Apply for Naturalization
- Senator Mitt Romney Delivers Remarks on Impeachment Vote Wednesday, February 5, 2020: "I hope we respect each other’s good faith"
- Jo Freeman's Book Review: Give Me Liberty: A History of America’s Exceptional Idea
- The Judiciary is Introducing Two Articles of Impeachment Charging the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, With Committing High Crimes and Misdemeanors