NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk City Council unanimously voted to suspend the sister city relationship with Kaliningrad, Russia on Tuesday night, citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The resolution calls for the Norfolk Sister City Association to suspend the relationship until peace and sovereignty are restored in Ukraine. The association was asked to communicate the suspension with the request that Kaliningrad residents safely express opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions.
The City Council's vote comes after Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin called on Virginia mayors to end sister-city partnerships with Russian cities.
"The invasion of Ukraine by Soviet dictator Vladimir Putin cannot stand, and the people of the Commonwealth are ready to rally in opposition to this senseless attack on a sovereign nation and western ideals," Youngkin tweeted on Feb. 26.
Norfolk Mayor Dr. Kenneth Alexander agreed with Youngkin, saying the city stands "in support of a free and independent Ukraine." But Marguerite Inscoe, the president of the Norfolk Sister City Association, said the association wants to continue the relationship while acknowledging that the decision rests with the City Council.
During the vote, Council Member Andria McClellan said she was glad the resolution wouldn't permanently dissolve the relationship. She praised the work of the Norfolk Sister City Association as an outlet for promoting democratic ideals but also noted the recent atrocities committed in Ukraine.
According to the Norfolk Sister City Association, Kaliningrad became Norfolk's fifth sister city in 1992. Located by the Baltic Sea in Europe, the city is the westernmost exclave part of the Russian Federation, surrounded by Poland and Lithuania.
You can read the full resolution below: