Fortress Ukraine

Building institutions with integrity

History will surely note this absurdly ill-timed Instagram selfie. On Wednesday, September 1, the Ukrainian president’s press secretary posed twice for his 800 followers in Washington, DC: in the first photo, Serhiy Nykyforov looks serious, but in the second he sticks out his tongue and extends his arm to create the illusion that he is holding the Washington Monument between his fingertips.

In addition to being tactless, the post illustrates the confusion about what values animate some Ukrainian public servants, as well as the kinds of behavior that might alienate their American counterparts. Expectations in Kyiv that a meeting at the White House would produce more than diplomatic pablum were delusional. On the other hand, a study showed less than 16% of Americans can find Ukraine on a map. Even fewer would be able to accurately estimate the cost of building the new 10-acre embassy in Kyiv, nicknamed Fortress Ukraine - the fourth largest U.S. bilateral mission in Europe.

Which brings us to the 2,100-word joint statement issued following the two-hour chit chat between Presidents Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky. “Ukraine’s success is central to the global struggle between democracy and autocracy,” it said.

As we face this challenge together, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder, optimistic about our ambitious common goals to advance democracy, deliver justice, enhance prosperity, and bolster security for Ukraine. Ukraine has achieved progress in building institutions with integrity and intends, with U.S. support, to continue to counter corruption, ensure accountability, safeguard human rights, realize the aspirations of its citizens, and create favorable conditions for attracting foreign direct investment and driving growth.   - Joint Statement