Over the weekend, Larry Hogan directed Maryland’s Secretary of State to terminate Maryland’s sister state relationship with the Leningrad Region of Russia, which was established in 1993.
The governor has also directed state agencies to review any and all contracts, procurements, and holdings that may have ties to Russian entities, according to Hogan’s Government website.
The decision by leaders to remove Russian products has been met with mixed reviews, with some commenters on various local social media news pages supporting the removal of products/ties to Russian entities and others questioning the effectiveness of the decision and the Russophobia that may come with it.
On Monday, Hogan wrote a letter to Leningrad’s Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko, alerting him of the decision.
The goal of subnational cooperation is to promote peace and prosperity between communities via local governments. With the view to establishing bilateral relations and engaging in mutual exchange, the governors of the State of Maryland and the Leningrad Region signed an agreement in 1993 creating a Sister State partnership.
That notwithstanding, it is the duty of every government to remain vigilant of unlawful acts against public order, democratic principles, and innocent civilians. Having witnessed the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, I am obliged to immediately dissolve and terminate Maryland’s partnership with the Leningrad Region.
Over the weekend, I directed @SOSMaryland to terminate our sister state relationship with the Leningrad Region.
I also directed state agencies to review contracts, procurements, and holdings that may have ties to Russian entities.
Read the letter: https://t.co/bTnbsJir3s pic.twitter.com/0PF7FuMOGI
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) February 28, 2022