MIDLAND, Texas — Marie Yovanovitch has worked everywhere from Armenia to Kyrgyzstan.
But it’s her most recent appointment in Ukraine from 2016 to 2019 that probably draws the most attention.
Her experiences in those places has helped bring her new book "Lessons from the edge" to life.
“It’s held on, you know, about my recollections in the foreign service and hopefully paints a broader picture about what diplomats do for the United States,” Yovanovitch said. “Why we, just like the military, just like our intelligence professionals, we too are on the front lines protecting and defending every American.”
Her speech at Midland College bares the same name.
Part of the allure of speaking at a college for Yovanovitch is that she gets the chance to speak to potential leaders of the country.
“Student audiences, and this is going to be a student audience in part, at least, often wonder how you get into the foreign services, what should I be studying," Yovanovitch said. "Almost all groups want to know about the war in Ukraine, what's happening in Russia, what is happening in Ukraine and how it's going to end.”
Lessons from the Edge, however, will not shy away from the elephant in the room: the war in Ukraine.
“You know, I always add why we should care about Ukraine because it’s the right thing to do to help a young democracy fight back against an autocratic regime that has invaded without any pretext," Yovanovitch said. "It is also the smart thing to do because this is about our national security.”