Maryland to End Sister-State Relationship with Leningrad Due to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol in continuous legislative use and is the only state house ever to have served as the nation’s capitol: Glynn Wilson

Staff Report –

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland’s Republican Governor Larry Hogan announced Monday the state will dissolve its sister-state relationship with Russia’s state of Leningrad due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The governor directed the secretary of state to terminate the relationship that was established in 1993, Hogan said in a statement.

In a letter dated Monday to Leningrad’s Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko, Hogan wrote that the partnership was created “with a view to establishing bilateral relations and engaging in mutual exchange.”

But every government has a duty to “remain vigilant of unlawful acts against public order, democratic principles and innocent civilians,” Hogan said.

After witnessing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Hogan said he’s “obliged to immediately dissolve and terminate” the relationship.

The people of Ukraine have taken up arms to help their defense forces fight off the unprecedented Russian invasion and their efforts appear to be working to slow the advance toward Kyiv, the capitol city, and people all over the world are siding with Ukraine and rallying against this destructive and anti-democratic act of war ordered by Russia’s dictator president, Vladimir Putin.