Reps. Fitzpatrick, Chabot to Newsmax: Ukraine Needs More from United States

The Ukrainian people are passionate and willing to fight for their country, but they need more help from the United States by way of tougher sanctions, more lethal weapons, and a halt to the United States' import of oil from Russia, Reps. Steve Chabot and Brian Fitzpatrick said in a joint interview on Newsmax Saturday.

"This is a crisis that could have been avoided," Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., said on Newsmax's "America Right Now."

"It was a result of a lot of bad decisions, starting with Afghanistan and second with energy decisions here domestically. All of those can be remedied. It's never too late."

One way to help is to stop the import of Russian oil and to reopen the Keystone XL pipeline permanently, as well as shut down the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany, Fitzpatrick added.

"[We can] not only become energy independent here but become an energy exporter to Europe, which is right now addicted to Russian energy," said Fitzpatrick. "That's why we've had the slow response to getting the Ukrainians the help they need."

Meanwhile, there are reports that President Joe Biden has offered to help evacuate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which the Ukrainian leader has rejected, and Chabot, R-Ohio, said Biden's move was a "particularly unhelpful action."

"The Ukrainian people have shown incredible bravery in the face of overwhelming military superiority on the side of the Russians," said Chabot. "I have to salute President Zelenskyy for staying with his people and to be willing to fight there and put his life on the line."

That is "very different" from what former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani did when he fled his country last year while the Taliban was closing in on Kabul, Chabot added.

"[Afghanistan] was another huge debacle by this administration," he said. "They essentially showed weakness when we need strength. We need peace through strength, as Ronald Reagan said. Not this weakness, which is emboldening the world's worst actors from Vladimir Putin in Ukraine to Xi Jinping potentially in Taiwan."

"The one way the United States can help Ukraine is to give its people "everything they're asking from us," Fitzpatrick further commented. "This is a message that's going to be sent across the world for countries that are aspiring to be democracies, freedom-loving and independence-loving nations. Ukraine's independence is 30 years old. They're a very young country. Over half of the population of Ukraine was born after 1991 after they won their Independence. They want no part of Russian rule, but they need our help."
This means the United States needs to supply the country fully, not just with Javelin anti-tank missiles, but also aircraft defense Stinger missiles, said Fitzpatrick.

"We've given them zero Patriot missiles, which is the anti-missile defense system, and zero submarine protection," he added. "They need a lot of body armor as well. I'm hearing from my colleagues in the Ukrainian parliament every day, and they need our help."

Chabot agreed that Ukraine needs all military supplies, and the United States to enact "extremely crushing sanctions" on Russian President Vladimir Putin, not just half measures.

"We need to take down the ruble," said Chabot. "We need to take down their energy industry…it may be too late for that. But we need to do everything possible that we can to let Ukraine have a fighting chance of hanging on here. It's in our interest as well as theirs."

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