The Foreign Service Journal, March 2023

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2023 19 On Jan. 8, the Biden administration also announced an online process for Cuban citizens—along with Haitians, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans—with family members in the United States to apply for the parole program to enter the United States. This program is not coordi- nated by the embassy in Havana. Restrictions on tourism to Cuba remain in place. Zelenskyy Delivers “Masterclass in Diplomacy” U krainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Washington, D.C., in December 2022 and impressed observers with his pas- sionate rhetoric. A tweet from political scientist Jasmin Mujanovic called Zelenskyy’s visit a “masterclass in diplomacy.” In his first wartime trip outside Ukraine, Zelenskyy met with President Biden and addressed Congress in English, thanking “every American family which cherishes the warmth of its home.” He presented a Ukrainian flag that had flown on the front lines to then– Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. And he emphasized the importance of the U.S. contributions to his country’s defense, calling it “an investment in global security and democracy.” Con- gress was debating the possibility of sending more aid to Ukraine. The United States has provided more than $100 billion in aid to Ukraine since the start of the war. was invaded approaches, the Ukrainian government is seeking tanks, more weapons, and aid to continue the fight. n This edition of Talking Points was compiled by Donna Scaramastra Gorman and Julia Wohlers. R eporting is not merely a glamor- ous, exciting pastime. It is utterly basic to the intelligent formulation of a realistic foreign policy. Without facts, and an understanding of those facts, ... our policy makers are flying blind. Of course, the Foreign Service officer has many functions other than political reporting: you can name them as well as I. I submit, though, that none is more vital to the country, or more rewarding to the individual, than reporting. It was the best, most satisfying part of my own career. The reporting officer ... should not be overly tied to a desk. If he is going to be able to travel and succeed in getting close to people, he may need time, encour- agement, and facilities for intensive country specialization and language training—and some assurance that the time committed to gaining such in-depth specialization will not penalize him in the competitive rat-race for pro- motion. Finally, he needs freedom in his contacts to get beyond the local elites. — By retired FSO John Service, excerpted from a speech of the same name that he gave at an AFSA luncheon in January 1973 honoring the “old China Hands of the Foreign Service,” and published in the March 1973 FSJ . 50 Years Ago Foreign Service Reporting AFSPA afspa.org/aip afspa.org/dental Chambers Theory ChambersTheory.com Clements Worldwide Clements.com/fsj FEDS Protection fedsprotection.com McEnearney & Associates McEnearneyPM.com Promax Management PromaxManagement.com Property Specialists, Inc. PropertySpecialistsinc.com Richey Property Management RicheyPM.com/foreignservice Windecker Financial Planning windeckerfp.pro WJD Management wjdpm.com