[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 19, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E332]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   U.S. CONTINUING SUPPORT OF UKRAINE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 19, 2023

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the 
following article from The Post and Courier of Charleston, South 
Carolina, ``Commentary: US should not cut military aid to Ukraine,'' 
published by Mark J. Duffy on March 30, 2023. It is recognition of the 
bravery and courage of Ukrainians in their fight for freedom and 
democracy against war criminal Putin's murderous and destructive 
invasion. American families freedom is based on victory by democracies 
with Rule of Law prevailing over authoritarians with Rule of Gun.

       As the United States continues to ramp up billions of 
     dollars in aid to Ukraine, public sentiment in South Carolina 
     and across the nation is turning against more aid being sent 
     to Ukraine. In recent days, President Xi Jinping of China and 
     President Vladimir Putin of Russia met to deepen their 
     cooperation,following reports that China may soon provide 
     artillery and drones to its ``dear friend'' Russia.
       I have a different perspective, based on my childhood 
     growing up in a divided island, my work with China and more 
     recently my work with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
       I grew up in Ireland during the Troubles, where I saw 
     loyalists (protestants who wanted Northern Ireland to remain 
     part of Great Britain) and republicans (Catholics who wanted 
     Northern Ireland to be part of the Republic of Ireland) 
     engage in dialogue and negotiations to bring peace to the 
     island. Growing up on an island with a history of violent 
     conflict, I saw that when different ethnic groups and 
     countries work together to resolve conflict, peace and 
     prosperity will soon follow.
       In my first job out of university in 2013, as a public 
     relations account lead, I worked with the Embassy of the 
     People's Republic of China. Reflecting on my youthful 
     idealism, I realize I was naive in believing that the United 
     States and China could work together to solve some of the 
     world's greatest challenges. After a year of working with 
     Chinese diplomats on media relations, dealing with sensitive 
     issues, I resigned as it became clear to me that the Chinese 
     Communist Party represents a clear and present danger to U.S. 
     national security interests.
       Whether it's stealing U.S. intellectual property, using 
     unfair trade practices to kill American jobs, arming 
     America's enemies or covering up the origins of the COVID-19 
     virus, I have no doubt in my mind that the party's members 
     will stop at nothing in their quest to be the world's largest 
     superpower.
       Now let me tell you about my first-hand experience working 
     for ``the Servant of the People'' political party, which was 
     led by a comedian named Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In 2019, when I 
     began to work with his team, I was personally attacked for 
     helping a new young aspiring politician with a 
     transformational vision. The media at the time and the elites 
     in Washington were suspicious of then-candidate Zelenskyy. 
     But I was very proud of the work that I did to help a young 
     political leader and those around him at such a pivotal time 
     in our history.
       Fast forward to today and President Zelenskyy has 
     demonstrated his true character to the world, showing 
     unprecedented leadership in standing up to Russian 
     aggression. President Zelenskyy famously said ``I need 
     ammunition, not a ride'' when U.S. officials offered to 
     evacuate him in the hours after the invasion. The strength of 
     President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people should show us 
     all that we have a strong partner in Ukraine. At its core, 
     this ongoing fight is about supporting freedom and democratic 
     ambitions in the face of autocracy.
       Here in South Carolina, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham has made 
     clear that Congress must continue to provide financial 
     assistance to Ukraine and pointed out that ``we cannot let 
     Putin's bluster and threats determine the course of freedom 
     for the 21st century. `` Sen. Graham argues that ``we must 
     designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. 
     law'' to ensure that ``any lethal assistance to Russia, 
     provided by China, is devastating to the Chinese economy.''
       As a country, we can either pay now or we will pay much 
     more later. Putin will not stop in Ukraine. Our adversary 
     China will see any withdrawal in U.S. support for Ukraine as 
     a sign that it will not face consequences if it invades 
     Taiwan.
       U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's comment that he will 
     not support a blank check for Ukraine makes sense. It's 
     imperative that the Congress conduct aggressive oversight to 
     ensure that all aid going to Ukraine is being used most 
     effectively.
       As President Ronald Reagan reminds us, ``America is a 
     shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-
     loving people everywhere. ``Now is not the time to cut U.S. 
     military aid and hurt freedom-loving people in Ukraine. 
     Stopping Putin and Xi in Ukraine is an absolute necessity for 
     the national security of South Carolinians and millions of 
     American families.
       Political leaders in Congress and here in South Carolina 
     must stand strong against autocratic regimes that want to 
     crush freedom. Supporting Ukraine is smarter and cheaper than 
     the alternative of standing by and doing nothing.

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