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Indiana formalized its economic, educational and cultural relationship with Ukraine after Gov. Eric Holcomb traveled to the war-torn country to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and offer collaboration, Holcomb told reporters Thursday morning.
Holcomb’s short conversation with Zelenskyy on Thursday morning in Kyiv was focused on how Indiana could help Ukraine with agricultural and life science support, Holcomb said. Holcomb is the first U.S. governor to travel to the country since Russia’s invasion more than two years ago.
With Zelenskyy watching, Holcomb and Vitaliy Bunechko, the governor from Zhytomyr Oblast, signed a memorandum of understanding to grow a relationship focused on academia, agriculture and economic development. Holcomb said he and his Hoosier delegation will return home with a to-do list.
“It’s going to be action, action and action,” he said. “We want to see something come from it in terms of growth for both.”
Later, the governor began meeting with additional Ukraine officials and business leaders.
“This is sub-national diplomacy, and to me, that just means community-to-community relationships and building,” he said.
His visit to the country has been considered for a couple of years, Holcomb said, but was spurred by Zelenskyy’s plea for support to U.S. governors at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting in Salt Lake City.
Holcomb’s one-day trip to Ukraine was tacked onto the previously scheduled trade trip to Slovakia and Italy, which began Saturday. The Indiana delegation will be homebound later on Thursday.
Holcomb gave a few examples of what the MOU could look like in practice. Eli Lilly and Co. and Corteva Agriscience, for instance, could assist with crop production and medicine, and Ukrainian students could study in Indiana through scholarship programs. When the delegation returns, Holcomb said members will reach out to organizations, such as AgriNovus and museums, to stoke overseas partnerships.
Those involved in defense in the United States could benefit from learning about what Holcomb calls the “most modern, prepared army in Europe.”
This is more than charity, Holcomb said. Ukraine at large is not on pause, he said, and many Ukrainians are living life somewhat normally despite the invasion. There are collaboration opportunities to support the economy and other spheres of life besides the war effort, he said.
When asked about pushback to further Ukraine funding from some fellow Republicans, Holcomb said he does not trust Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Ukraine invasion could be a launching pad for the Russian president’s larger imperial pursuits, the governor said.
“Folks are rightly concerned that if Ukraine goes, who’s next?” Holcomb said. “The price of peace now will pale in comparison to the cost of an ongoing and wider war.”
Maintaining connections between the state and Ukraine will be up to the next governor, Holcomb said, while explaining this is another “productive” and “constructive” relationship Indiana has with countries globally.
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