UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Apr 25 — The support from the United States is essential for Ukraine’s future, said Tom Brewer, Republican senator from Nebraska, responding to a question from Gwara Media journalists, at a press conference in Kharkiv Media Hub.

“If the majority of the weapon systems are from the United States, and they cannot get spare parts or ammunition, that will be a very difficult fight for Ukraine,” the senator said. 

This is Tom Brewer’s fifth visit to Ukraine. The senator, along with the Nebraska diplomatic delegation that included Sara Ashton-Cirillo, a sergeant in Ukraine’s army and journalist, says they came to Ukraine to gather information about Ukraine’s needs, both military and humanitarian aid-wise (e.g., demining) — and plan to relay it to the United States’s officials.

Almost a year ago, Sen. Brewer said he’s concerned about possible sympathies Donald Trump might express for Vladimir Putin if he’s elected President. 

When asked about his current views, Brewer said, “We are gradually getting to a place where Trump begins to understand Putin.  I think, in the beginning, he gave him too much credit.” 

Brewer thinks the most “intelligent, understanding” person on the team of people Trump put to “work on the Russia-Ukraine issue” is General Keith Kellog, United States Special Envoy for Ukraine. 

“In the beginning, everybody wanted a say on how this agreement (‘peace deal’ between Russia and Ukraine — ed.) should look. And General Kellog could not be as powerful as he should have been in shaping the final product,” Brewer said, commenting on the US Administration’s “final offer” for the Russia-Ukraine peace deal presented in Paris on April 17. 

US “final offer,” according to the article published by Reuters, among other things, includes the US recognizing annexed Crimea as de jure Russian, Ukraine’s refusing to pursue NATO membership, and Russia withdrawing its troops from occupied Kharkiv Oblast.  

“Ukraine does not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. It is the territory of the Ukrainian people. There is nothing to talk about because it is beyond our Constitution,” said the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy in reaction to the first reports of “final offer.”

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