Former US Ambassador George Kent has completed a bike ride across America from Oregon to Washington. Together with his wife and son, he covered 4,427 land miles (over 7,000 kilometers) to raise funds for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The journey lasted almost three months, and the Kent family finished in the heart of the American capital.
This was reported by Ukrinform.
“Biking across America is something I’ve wanted to do for 35 years, ever since I was in college. So I was thinking about what I would do when I retired. So, earlier this year, I finished my diplomatic service. I wanted to not just bike across the United States, but do it with a purpose and a purpose, so I was looking for ways to help Ukraine,” George Kent said about the idea of the bike ride.
During the trip, the ex-consul told locals about the Russian war against Ukraine and encouraged discussions with Americans across the United States. After all, these were people who, for the most part, in many cases, knew nothing or had never heard of Ukraine.
It was, he said, a combined approach: fighting disinformation, telling the truth about what was happening with the Russian war in Ukraine, and why it was important to support Ukraine. And then there was the fundraising to support Ukrainian units on the front lines.
“Most of the conversations – not all of them, but most of them – ended with people thanking us for sharing the truth. Many of them told us that they didn’t know what to believe anymore, because there’s so much misinformation out there that sometimes people just turn away. So again, it’s important to remind people where they can find reliable information, and I think that’s a task that all informed Americans should do in their communities. Of course, that’s also obviously part of the work of the media and the Ukrainian embassy here in the United States… One of the most impressive moments of this more than “seven thousand” trip across America was how ordinary Americans reacted emotionally and supported Ukraine,” Kent said.
According to him, people often took cash out of their pockets to make donations. The funds were collected through the NAFO website, which directs them to purchase specialized vehicles for the Ukrainian military.
“As of today, we have exceeded the planned fundraising goal of $71,000, which fully covers the cost of the first three cars,” the former diplomat said, noting that donations continue to come in, and now they will go towards the purchase of the next car.
The trip was not without extreme moments - in Colorado, cyclists heard a loud bear roar, but escaped danger. The bike ride started on July 15 from the Oregon coast and passed through Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Virginia.
Background
George Kent is an American diplomat who is known for his support for Ukrainian sovereignty and initiatives in favor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He worked twice as part of the US diplomatic mission in Ukraine - in 2004-2007 and 2015-2018. During his second assignment, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. In July 2021, George Kent served as Acting U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Ukraine. From February 2023 to January 2025, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Estonia.George Kent is an American diplomat who is known for his support for Ukrainian sovereignty and initiatives in favor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He worked twice as part of the US diplomatic mission in Ukraine - in 2004-2007 and 2015-2018. During his second assignment, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. In July 2021, George Kent served as Acting U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Ukraine. From February 2023 to January 2025, he served as U.S. Ambassador to Estonia.
Kent is currently an active member of the international NAFO community, which counters Russian propaganda and supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In July, he embarked on a bike ride across America to draw attention to Ukraine.Kent is currently an active member of the international NAFO community, which counters Russian propaganda and supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In July, he embarked on a bike ride across America to draw attention to Ukraine.
Author: Danylo Pievchev