Sen. Tim Kaine discusses Ukraine, China in visit with W&M students
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine visited William & Mary’s Global Research Institute on Friday to chat with students about foreign policy and answer questions about the world situation today.
About 30 students affiliated with one of the 10 labs that are part of the Global Research Institute attended Kaine’s visit.
“It’s an interesting and challenging time in the country and the world,” Kaine said, speaking about the global struggle between authoritarian and democratic systems and the competition between those two impulses.
Among the topics Kaine spoke about were Russia’s war in Ukraine, the United States’ relationship with China and the situation in the Americas. He also answered student questions concerning a multitude of topics, including Taiwan, clean energy manufacturing, seemingly widespread disillusionment among the younger generations and more.
After the event, Kaine said that getting the chance to speak to William & Mary students was more like having a discussion with his own staff than a typical student engagement, based on the quality and perceptiveness of the questions.
“It tells me some percentage (of the students) will go on to do this work,” he said.
According to Kaine, who serves as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the university’s Global Research Institute is a center where students are creating knowledge and churning out work that can help build policy.
Last month, Kaine reintroduced legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force resolution, which would formally end the Gulf and Iraq wars and reassert Congress’ role in deciding whether and when to deploy service members.
Kaine’s stop at William & Mary was one of two engagements in Williamsburg. Earlier in the day, he visited with the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce and small business owners of color. He also toured MAKE ‘ur MERCH Boutique in York County, a co-merchandising retail boutique that offers small business owners space to work and sell products before making the step to lease space of their own.
During his meeting with members of the Chamber and small business owners, Kaine discussed the local economy and small business support.
Sian Wilkerson, sian.wilkerson@pilotonline.com, 757-342-6616
