43rd District Nebraska State Senator Tom Brewer of Gordon has just made his 4th trip to Ukraine since the nation was invaded by Russia a little over 2 years ago.
Brewer told reporters by phone from Kyiv last week that he was seeing some “war fatigue” at the front lines, making it even more vital that the United States continue to supply weapons and ammunition to the Ukrainians.
Brewer said “Democracy dies if we let the Ukrainians be defeated by Russia,” and warned that Russian President Vladamir Putin would be emboldened to invade other nations in Eastern Europe or the Baltic
Brewer, a decorated military veteran who served six tours of duty in Afghanistan before retiring after 36 years in the military, spoke Wednesday, near the end of a nearly month long-trip to Ukraine.
He said the extensive use of drones by both sides means soldiers must hunker down in trenches until bad weather grounds the drones and allows them to attack.
Brewer said that to counter the drones and Russian aircraft, Ukraine needs more anti-missile defense systems and the kind of longer-range armaments that can reach into Russia to blunt their recent offensive.
Brewer said the “bottom line” is that the U-S, Great Britain, and other allies must be more aggressive in providing the types of weapons Ukraine needs in the numbers it needs.
Brewer said “Instead of stringing them out, and feeding them little bits and pieces to survive, give them what they need. By stringing it out, you’re killing a lot of really good folks who are trying to get back their freedom and their homeland.”
Brewer latest visit included stops at embattled Kharkiv and other Ukrainian positions, interviews on Polish television and with the Wall Street Journal, and briefings with Ukrainian military and economic officials.