Oregon State Senator James Manning on potential for Ukraine sister state

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon State Sen. James Manning is Senate President pro tempore, and chair of the Senate Committee On Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs.

The committee is sponsoring Senate Concurrent Resolution 23, which would establish a ceremonial sister state relationship between the oblast – or province – of Cherkasy, Ukraine and the state of Oregon.

Sen. Manning is also supporting Oregon’s distribution of federal grants to help Ukrainian refugees in Oregon who have fled the war-torn country.

A Democrat from Eugene, Sen. Manning is a former corrections officer, police officer and Army veteran who served in the military for more than two decades. He also ran for Secretary of State in 2024.

Sen. Manning returned to Eye on Northwest Politics to discuss the resolution to create a Ukrainian sister state, his thoughts on the U.S. changing its policy regarding Ukraine as it relates to Russian aggression, as well as cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Watch the full interview in the video above.