The R.T. Weatherman Foundation will never leave Ukraine behind

As sirens announcing multi-vehicle motorcades clog the streets, metro riders face closed stations, and blocks upon blocks of temporary fencing and barricades line the sidewalks, Washington D.C. is the site of more gridlock than usual this week. With the annual NATO summit underway, the appearance of heads of state and high-level representatives from the alliance's 32 member states and dozens of leaders from nations outside the treaty organization made America’s capital city the epicenter of global interest. This level of scrutiny is one that D.C. is occasionally under. Still, as war rages in Ukraine and Israel and hot conflicts flare up across the globe, the current spotlight beaming down upon the banks of the Potomac illuminated the reality that the ongoing struggle for democracy is of utmost importance. The world needs bold leadership accompanied by the grandest ideas and ideals from which the great American experiment was steeped to prevail in this crucial battle between those who bask in the light of freedom and bathe in the values of liberty versus a loud and belligerent minority pushing for tyranny in an effort to eradicate the pillars of democracy.

In addition to the governmental representatives, many other groups have made their way to the city for the summit and its many ancillary events. Thousands of journalists, think tank analysts, and NGO representatives also arrived in pursuit of stories, opportunities to make pitches, and simply network. Yet, as the world’s populace teeters on the edge of an abyss, where falling in means losing the essence of humanity itself, too many attendees this week are refusing or incapable of offering the dynamic vision and solutions necessary to ensure that in this ongoing and existential battle, good will prevail over evil. There are exceptions, and one of the groups represented this week has shown itself to lead from the front in the most exceptional ways. By utilizing a combination of a clear vision backed by strategic planning, a fearless approach to decision-making, and the will to finish a mission, all while being guided by the highest ethical standards, the R.T. Weatherman Foundation has not just proven itself, but it has inspired hope and shown that even in the darkest of times, humanity can prevail.

The Weatherman Foundation, a registered US 501-C3 Non-profit, has undertaken various missions for Ukrainian civil society and the country’s defense forces. While many nonprofits have done an admirable job of filling the needed gaps created in Ukraine by Russia’s illegal and genocidal full-scale invasion of the country, a deeper look at the R.T. Weatherman Foundation shows an organization that is hard at work in delivering solutions and answers to some of the most pressing and confounding issues the Ukrainian people and their foreign allies face.

Among its diverse portfolio of undertakings is the creation of a World Food Program audited logistics hub along the Romanian-Ukrainian border to facilitate the delivery of mass amounts of humanitarian aid to the most desperate areas in the east of Ukraine, the creation of safe houses for Ukrainian women and children in Poland, a retreat center for Ukrainian war correspondents and their families in southern Europe, and the evacuation of wounded soldiers to medical facilities outside of Ukraine along with the repatriation of fallen volunteer heroes to their families.

Andrew Duncan, Co-Cofounder of the R.T. Weatherman Foundation with Ukrainian Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuck on Capitol Hill

Ukrinform had the opportunity to catch up with representatives from the Foundation at an event they sponsored on Capitol Hill titled “War Diaries.” This event, which included the opening of an art exhibit featuring the works of 14 Ukrainian children who shared their experiences of living under the brutality of the Russian occupation, was a powerful testament to the Foundation's advocacy work. The exhibit was graced by elected officials and dignitaries from multiple countries, including Chairman of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuck, who gave the keynote speech.

Between preparations for the exhibition’s opening, R.T. Weatherman co-founder Andrew Duncan and its President Meaghan Mobbs shared their thoughts on various topics, including Ukraine’s fight for liberty and liberation, the overriding importance of freedom, and why no one gets left behind.

In speaking with Duncan, it immediately became apparent that behind a visage that exuded welcoming confidence was a man who wasn’t just in D.C. for handshakes and pictures. He began by touting the Foundation's work in the early days of Russia’s invasion and offering up truly staggering numbers, which immediately confirmed the group's fortitude and success when faced with the most dire of circumstances.

“We have a refugee center in Przemyśl where we processed over 20,000 Ukrainians on their way through in coordination with the Arch-Diocese there and then set up a Romanian distribution center where we shipped in $185 million in aid to 82 hospitals across the frontlines along with food during the most dire days.” After rattling off those impressive stats, he followed up by offering that, “For a year, we were the only suppliers of insulin; we had had a whole (supply) chain running through Odesa, into Mykolaiv and Dnipro, and then pushed out from there.”

As he touched on more of the projects they undertook, he delved into what drove the co-founder to tackle such momentous tasks in Ukraine’s fight for liberation. Duncan replied in a manner that exuded conviction in what values mattered to him and the world.

“I have an understanding of the greatest generation and what they did. This is an assault on Europe. It’s a binary battle; it is good vs. evil.” Duncan then explained what the Ukrainian effort against the invaders meant to him. “They (Ukrainians) are a gift to Americans to understand what’s out there. They’re making us look in the mirror to think about our situation. They make us appreciate democracy more. What if you lose democracy? It’s not so easy to get it back.”

Meaghan Mobbs, President of the R.T. Weatherman Foundation, is every bit the forceful advocate for freedom that Duncan is. A PhD and former Army officer with a deep understanding of the national security issues affecting the United States and its partners, including Ukraine, Mobbs firmly believes in the role and responsibility of being an American and a citizen of the globe’s lone superpower.

Mobbs recapped the emotional beginnings of the Foundation’s work in Ukraine by talking of a project she was part of in Afghanistan.

“In 2021, when Afghanistan was falling, we all decided that we couldn’t just watch and do nothing, so we actively got involved in the evacuation of girls and women from Afghanistan. The evacuations were ongoing when the full-scale (Russian) invasion began.”

At that point, with Ukraine’s sovereignty hanging in the balance, Mobbs and her friends realized that the reputation of the United States was at stake in light of the government’s broken promises and institutional abandonment of the nation’s longtime Afghani allies.

“We all looked at each other and said if the government makes a decision (to abandon Ukraine), that’s one thing, but as Americans, we’re gonna continue to show up.”

Her words about showing up are backed by a creed that Mobbs adheres to, which Duncan directly echoed. At the R.T. Weatherman Foundation, no one gets left behind.

As Mobbs explained, this ingrained value system is part of the reason that “most of the R.T. Weatherman Foundation are either U.S. Veterans or have worked with U.S. Veterans in the past.”

One life-saving program that Mobbs oversees is carried out under the dutiful eye of David Bramlette, himself a decorated US veteran who also served in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It originated from making sure the words of never leaving someone behind translate to direct actions, just as they had in Afghanistan.

According to Mobbs, the need for specialized medical care for both Ukrainians and volunteer foreign service members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine led to a direct relationship with the US Army’s Landstuhl Medical Center in Germany. Troops injured while fighting for liberty are brought there to be cared for by medical professionals who speak the injured soldiers' language and are aware of their psycho-social needs.

With a full agenda and never-ending work, Mobbs ended our conversation by looking at the future and acknowledging that Ukraine's road ahead is long. However, neither she nor the team at R.T. Weatherman Foundation would back down from the existential threats posed by the enemies of freedom.

“We like to be super agile, non-bureaucratic, and meet those challenges rapidly. We are registered in Ukraine as a Ukrainian charity, and we’re going to be there as long as we’re needed. And we’ll adjust our programs based on those needs. Ukraine will have a significant need for many years to come, and as long as we can continue to fill the gaps, we’re absolutely going to do that.”

*Quotes have been edited for clarity and length

Sergeant Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, Armed Forces of Ukraine

The author's opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Ukrinform's editorial board.