COUSINS ON A COLLISION COURSE

Following the May AGM of U3A Malvern, guest speaker, Frieda Looser had everyone listening attentively to her very topical lecture about the relationship between Russia and Ukraine.

There are many layers of history covering Ukraine and Russia, both uniting and dividing. Both countries have similar East Slavic languages.

Swedish Vikings, known as Rus (Red Haired) gave the name to both Russia and Belarus. They explored and traded down the great river systems from the Baltic to the Black Sea, founding Novgorod and Kiev.

Orthodox Christian missionaries, Saints Cyril and Methodius were apostles to both Ukraine and Russia. This led to the baptism of Prince Vladimir of Kiev in AD 988, the founding date of Kiev. In 1783, Empress Catherine the

Great annexed Ukraine and Crimea into the Russian Empire. It was the much valued fertile grain producing area and Black Sea port.

With the breakup of the USSR following Perestroika, the Russian Federation did not expect an independent Ukraine in the early 1990s.

In 2014 Ukraine elected a proWestern Government and called for EU membership and democracy. This led to the shock invasion of Ukraine on February 14th, 2022. The outcome of which cannot be assumed. This invasion would be as if New Zealanders woke up at 4am, finding that Australia was bombing New Zealand!

The June Meeting of U3A Malvern features Caroline Johnson speaking on the past, present and future of the Red

Cross.

The following people were elected at the AGM.

• Chairperson: Ruth Warren

• Secretary/Treasurer: Ali Price

• Committee Members: Mike Halliday, Judith Pascoe, Ian Warren, Jacky Lawson, Ian Sandford, Robyn Wendt and Janet MacDougall.

Ian Sandford, on behalf of U3A Malvern.