US Activists Advocating For Stronger Bilateral Ties To Visit Russia In April - Coordinator

Faizan Hashmi Published April 20, 2019 | 04:00 AM

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th April, 2019) A group of US activists who advocate for improved relations between the United States and Russia will visit Moscow, St. Petersburg and Crimea at the end of April, Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space coordinator Bruce Gagnon told Sputnik on Friday.

"We intend to stand up against the constant western demonization of Russia," Gagnon said. "Our Russia study tour is intended to help build a peace bridge between the people of our nations. We want to see and hear for ourselves what Russia is really like."

Gagon said the group consists of 19 activists from the United States and others from the United Kingdom, Nepal and Sweden. The activists will visit Moscow, St. Petersburg and Crimea for tours of historic sites and a broad range of meetings with political leaders, activists, journalists and citizens.

"We want to meet with Russian citizens, academics, students, political leaders, journalists and others in order to listen and to ask questions so we can get unfiltered information.

.. We feel that citizen diplomacy is needed now more than ever between Russia and the West," Gagnon said.

While in Crimea, the group will visit Simferopol, Yalta, and Sevastopol, and meet with veterans, students and journalists.

In St. Petersburg, where the group will arrive from Crimea, the activists plan to join the May 9 Immortal Regiment peace march.

Gagnon said he will carry a photo of his mother with her two brothers who were in the US Navy during the Second World War and their both ships were sunk by the Nazis.

"Luckily they both survived, but died an early death - many in the family think the war trauma impacted their health and thus resulted in early death," Ganon said.

Upon their return, the group will produce a video and a series of articles about their experiences in Russia. The next issue of Global Network's Space Alert newsletter will feature extensive coverage of the trip as well.