- A U.S. Ukraine veteran said the blockage of Republican support for Ukraine was weakening his party’s support.
- He said the Republican Party’s lack of support for Ukraine could prevent him from voting for the party next time.
- Ukrainian forces have proven their capabilities and could be in a much better position with more help, he said.
A U.S. Ukraine veteran said the Republican Party’s moves to block further aid to the war-torn country are breaking his long-standing loyalty to the party.
Jonathan Poquette is an elite shooter with the chosen company. The international force is part of Ukraine’s 59th Motorized Brigade and, although it is technically a reconnaissance unit, it carries out both frontline assault operations and defensive actions. Poquette was injured in January and has since been recovering in the Ukrainian capital kyiv.
Poquette described his politics as “somewhat centered, but more conservative in tendency.” He said his political views were largely “because Republicans tended to make policies and things that favored veterans or the military.”
“I always thought that way,” he said, citing his time in the U.S. Army and his family being “historically Republican.”
But he added that it was difficult to watch Republicans spend months blocking essential aid to Ukraine.
“When I go home and there are the next elections,” Poquette said, “there is a good chance that I will not vote at all simply because for me, what happened here has in somehow crossed the line. This is unacceptable.”
“In terms of trust and anything in the Republican Party, (it) has definitely been shaken.”
Poquette, a Kentucky native, said he agrees with much of what his state senator, Rand Paul, says, but not with his opposition to funding Ukraine.
“I agree with him, but at the same time, I don’t, because he’s spoken out for so long against sending aid to Ukraine. That’s where it’s like, it’s like, ‘Sir, I voted for you every time.’ time you ran, and right now you’re kind of making me regret that decision.'”
Ukraine has prevented the much larger Russian army from seizing the country and retaking territory, and has prevented it from making significant progress in the east. These successes show how much Ukrainians could do with more support, he said.
“Ukraine has already defied odds and exceeded expectations in the first two months after the invasion. It has shown what it is capable of with limited resources.”
“What do they still have to prove? Don’t put a hand behind their back. Support Ukraine, help us win this war.”
Not enough ammo
Ukraine faces a serious shortage of equipment, ranging from air defense missiles to shells. Ukraine’s defense minister said in January that the armed forces would only be able to shoot a third of what Russia could shoot each day. And it’s getting worse and worse.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned last week that Ukraine be forced to start retreating if Congress does not approve much-needed additional aid soon.
Poquette said he could feel the effects of the lack of artillery and ammunition before his injury. Artillery teams, he recalled, kept their fire on groups of advancing Russians to avoid wasting precious ammunition. His unit has become more demanding about hitting targets with its U.S.-supplied HIMARS. These measures, the only option in these dire circumstances, have put the infantry at increased risk as Russian forces continually attempt to advance.
Although he said some Ukrainian units also made poor tactical decisions, Poquette said Ukraine would be in “a much better situation” if it did not face the shortages.
American aid at a standstill
House Republicans are block additional $60 billion in aid to Ukrainea decision that was criticized by President Joe Biden.
“The way they’re walking away from the Russian threat, the way they’re walking away from NATO, the way they’re walking away from our obligations, it’s just shocking,” Biden said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Poquette said it was “extremely frustrating” to see Republicans tie aid to other issues, such as increased funding for the U.S. southern border, as Senate Republicans have attempted to do.
Europe’s support for Ukraine continues and the country’s partner countries have announced a series of high-value support programs in recent weeks. But even if Europe’s total support exceeds that of the United States, the United States remains Ukraine’s largest nation. donor, which means Ukraine feels the loss.
European countries also warn that their arsenals are running out and say there are not enough new munitions and weapons being produced, making it difficult to find equipment to give to Ukraine.
Ukraine is manufacturing its own weapon in an effort to depend less on its allies. But Russia has more people and resources, as well as greater industrial capacity. It also receives munitions and other support from North Korea and Iran.
Many war experts say Ukraine could still win if it had the right equipment.
Poquette said Ukraine had proven its capabilities, saying the world “saw how successful Ukraine was” during its 2022 counter-offensive when it recaptured large areas of territory from Russia before what he said was the need to slow down due to a “lack of equipment.” “
War analysts have described the idea that the war cannot be won because Russia is so dominant as “a Russian information operation”, and that it is by spreading this belief that Russia hopes to win this war.
Poquette said Ukrainian soldiers performed much better than those from Russia and lost far fewer in combat. With the right support, he said, “we could most definitely beat them.”
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