When George Kent retired from the U.S. Foreign Service earlier this year, he could have chosen a quiet life—maybe golf or bridge, as NPR’s Scott Simon joked. Instead, Kent, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Estonia and was a key witness in the first impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, set out on a journey that was anything but ordinary. Swapping his signature suit and bow tie for a helmet and cycling jersey, Kent embarked on a cross-country bike ride to raise awareness—and funds—for Ukraine’s war effort.
Kent’s journey, which began in Oregon and ended in Washington, D.C., spanned more than two months and thousands of miles. The timing was symbolic: 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the TransAmerica Bike Trail, an iconic route first established in 1976. For Kent, the trip was the realization of a dream he’d harbored since graduate school, but it was also a deeply personal mission. As he explained to NPR, "I retired early this year after being fired in the first hour of the administration, and I wanted to do something for Ukraine. And I'd had a dream since grad school to cycle across America."
Kent’s ride wasn’t a solo effort. His family joined him, sharing the physical and emotional demands of the journey. Along the way, they partnered with NAFO—a loosely organized network known as the North Atlantic Fella Organization, which fights Russian disinformation and crowdsources funds to support Ukraine. According to Kent, "they combined fighting disinformation with crowdsourcing funds for Ukraine. And that was a perfect fit. Cycle across America, talk to Americans what's on their mind, talk about Ukraine and Russia and raise money for a great cause."
The Kent family’s route took them through bustling cities, sleepy towns, and vast stretches of farmland. Everywhere they stopped, they struck up conversations—in cafes, on bike trails, and at convenience stores. Kent noted that the level of interest in Ukraine’s struggle remained "incredibly high" across much of the country. He was particularly moved by the generosity of ordinary Americans. "When they heard what we're there doing, people were pulling cash out of their pockets and contributing it to my wife, who then went online to make the donation," Kent recalled during the NPR interview.
But the ride also revealed pockets of indifference. As Kent and his family crossed into Kansas and Missouri, they found that the enthusiasm for Ukraine’s cause waned. "There was a notable difference when we hit the Colorado-Kansas border. Kansas, Missouri, farm country. We talked to dozens of farmers. They weren't as interested. And in fact, it was almost like a glass wall came down. As long as we were talking about the weather, the infrastructure, farming, it was animated. Ukraine, they just remained silent or looked to move on," Kent said. This regional difference, he suggested, reflected the complexity of American attitudes toward foreign conflicts and the challenge of sustaining broad-based support.
One encounter in Prineville, Oregon, stuck with Kent. There, he and his family shared a beer garden dinner with a couple named Ron and Jodi, members of a local evangelical church. Kent recounted, "Ron and Jodi said, you know, the majority of the people at our church support Ukraine. So it was actually something that they had talked about. But he said, we don't know what to believe anymore. Jodi said, well, we believe in Jesus. And Ron said, yes, of course, we believe in Jesus. But the question is, who do we believe about what's going on with Russia and Ukraine?" The conversation highlighted a broader challenge: Even among those who support Ukraine’s right to defend itself, there is confusion and skepticism about the reliability of information in a world awash with competing narratives.
Kent’s journey was not just about raising money—though he and his family managed to collect significant donations for Ukraine’s war effort. It was also about listening to Americans and understanding how they perceive the conflict. The experience reinforced Kent’s belief that the war in Ukraine is not just another distant struggle, but an existential fight for survival. "I think Ukrainians understand this is an existential war, and they will continue to fight. Our obligation really is to continue to support Ukraine. I think arming Ukraine, giving them the weapons to fight back, is in our interests," Kent told NPR.
He also argued that the stakes go beyond Ukraine’s borders. Kent pointed out that Ukraine is now a hub of military innovation, developing the next generation of weapons and tactics. "For the next generation of weapons, those are being developed in Ukraine, and I think the U.S. defense industry risks missing out. I think best—I came away with the impression that what we should be doing is investing in production capacity in Ukraine because what Ukraine is innovating in terms of weaponry and tactics is the way Western countries should defend themselves if they're ever put in that position of attacking a pure competitor like China or Russia," Kent explained.
The trip, chronicled by NPR and published on October 4, 2025, offered a snapshot of America’s evolving relationship with Ukraine. It revealed both the depth of grassroots support and the challenges posed by regional divides and information overload. Kent’s reflections suggest that, despite the obstacles, there remains a reservoir of goodwill and generosity among Americans—qualities that could prove vital as Ukraine’s struggle continues.
For Kent, the ride was more than a physical feat or a fundraising campaign. It was a way to bridge the distance—literal and figurative—between the U.S. and Ukraine, and to remind Americans that the outcome of this war will have lasting consequences for the world. As he put it, "Our obligation really is to continue to support Ukraine."
In the end, George Kent’s cross-country journey stands as a testament to the power of individual action and the enduring connections between people, even in a time of war and uncertainty. The road from Oregon to Washington, D.C. may be long and winding, but for Kent and those he met along the way, it was a journey worth taking.
