Staff | TVN24

Joni Ernst, chairman of the delegation of American senators who are visiting Poland, spoke about the war in Ukraine during a press conference in Rzeszów. – It is extremely important that we show support to our Ukrainian friends – she said. The politician emphasized that “the goal is a free and sovereign Ukraine”.

A delegation from the US Senate visits Poland. On Saturday at a conference in Rzeszów, Senator Joni Ernst, chairman of the delegation, assessed that ” Russia ‘s invasion of Ukraine is disgusting.”

It is extremely important that we show support to our Ukrainian friends, our Polish hosts, for every partner nation that is committed to the defense of Ukraine by providing humanitarian and military support to the Ukrainian nation. The goal is a free and sovereign Ukraine, emphasized Senator Ernst.

According to an American politician, “this is not the time to be weak”. – We have to show decisively. All countries must show determination, she pointed out.

According to Ernst, “President ( Vladimir) Putin , his generals are testing the NATO alliance decisively .” – We must make all member states show their strength together by showing that we support President ( Volodymyr) Zelensky and the people of Ukraine and that we will (…) help them win, added the senator.

When asked if the US would try to hold the Russian leader accountable for his actions in Ukraine, she replied that “President Putin should be held accountable.” – He is a weak man who targets children, old people and women. He’s not a real leader, she said. And she said: – We must bring him to justice for the crimes he commits in Ukraine.

“This is an illegal war, I must answer for it,” Ernst emphasized.

The senator also said that “we must provide the Ukrainians with the requested military equipment.” – They have an absolute will to fight, they fight well. The only thing that bothers them is the shortage of raw materials, shortage of ammunition, shortage of equipment to repel the Russians – she pointed out.

We and other member states (NATO – ed.) Must make sure that we allow Ukrainians to fight. We need to make sure they have the resources to defend themselves, Ernst said.

In turn, when asked how the US can help Ukrainian refugees, the politician recalled that the United States recently decided to allocate $ 14 billion for this purpose. There is money for refugees from Ukraine in this amount.

We know that deliveries to eastern Ukraine are becoming very difficult. We know the infrastructure has been damaged, but we will continue to work with NGOs and other actors to deliver aid. We have to find new ways to deliver the necessary materials to Ukraine as quickly as possible, said Ernst.

The senator noted that the delegation was at one of the reception points for refugees. Ernst emphasized that she was grateful to the Poles for the help they showed to the Ukrainians who were fleeing the war. She also assured that Poland is safe in NATO and that the USA would implement NATO article 5 if it was launched. He says, among other things, that an attack on one NATO member means an attack on all members of the alliance.

There are already many US soldiers in Poland who are ready to answer this article. We, as the United States, will honor this commitment to NATO, she emphasized.

On the same day, representatives of the delegation from the US Congress spoke in Warsaw.

Its chairman, Stephen Lynch, representative of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives, said during a virtual press conference: We are here to assure the support for the inhabitants of Ukraine and to thank people in Poland for the extraordinary generosity they show to refugees.

The purpose of the visit of a delegation of seven representatives of both parties of Congress, he said, is to confirm the position of the administration of US President Joe Biden and the people of the United States towards Ukraine and NATO allies . – We respect their sovereignty, we consider it very important that we be together at this time and defend the right of the people of Ukraine, and to ensure that the obligation under Article 5 is fully respected – said Lynch.

We had the opportunity to meet the president several times last week. I know that it is crucial for the president to maintain a coalition of not only 30 NATO countries, but also 27 European Union countries, he continued. In his opinion, during his stay in the region, “the president will want to thank you, but the purpose of the visit will also be to confirm the commitment of the United States in military and economic terms, so that the people of Ukraine have the best chance of success and preservation of freedom.”

Referring to the proposal to establish a peacekeeping mission under the aegis of NATO and other international organizations, congressmen recognized that military actions are currently the response to the Russian invasion.

Establishing a peaceful dialogue, if possible, is the goal. We’ve been trying this for a long time. We hope that the mission could be established under the flag of NATO or the UN, but at the moment there is a tough war going on and our opponent, the Russian Federation, does not want dialogue. They are aggressors, the war has not been provoked, they are attacking civilians. There is no room for dialogue as long as Putin has been like this. There’s only one way she can answer that, and it’s a military force, Lynch said.

Republican Congressman Mark Green also stated that it is not currently being considered. – We’re not even thinking about it right now. What we are thinking about now is humanitarian support for Ukrainians who are fleeing the war and the donation of lethal weapons so that the Ukrainians can fight like David with Goliath. This is our short-term goal, that’s what we focus on, he said.

According to him, “the most urgent action we can take is to ensure that Ukrainian fighters, patriots fighting for freedom, receive all the necessary equipment and support that we can provide them.” He said that the physical presence of NATO troops in Ukraine was not currently taken into account.

Green emphasized Congress’ unified stance on the Russian invasion and praised the actions of the US democratic administration. He expressed confidence that the current administration “will continue to show commitment to Article 5 and try to influence Putin by showing him that his actions are reducing him to a pariah role, that he is cornering and needs to make meaningful changes.”

The politician also addressed the president of Russia. – You have united NATO, you have united the European Union and the US Congress. We are definitely against you, you are a war criminal. We will drive your troops out of Ukraine. This is an illegal invasion and you should know: the Western world is united against your actions, he said.

Source: TVN 24