News from Ukraine is bad, NC’s Sen. Tillis says, but the classified reports are worse

Sen. Thom Tillis told reporters Wednesday that the consequences of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine need to be long-lasting.

“What he’s done is horrendous,” Tillis said in a news conference. “And even though the public reports are horrendous, the classified reports are even worse.”

Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, serves on the Senate Armed Services committee and the Senate NATO Observer Group. He spoke with reporters several hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed members of Congress about how they could help his country.

Through a translator, Zelenskyy said he wanted a no-fly zone, more sanctions and an end to financial aid for Russian businesses in the United States.

Without his translator, he appealed directly to President Joe Biden.

"I’m addressing President Biden as the leader of your nation,” Zelenskyy said. “I wish you would be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means being the leader of peace.”

THREATS IN THE US

Tillis said credible threats to the United States because of the Russian invasion have remained limited.

“I think the most impact we could have in the U.S. could be some sort of cyber attack, particularly through proxies, maybe not directly by the Russian government,” Tillis said. “So viewers and your readers need to understand that if you have denial of service or you have some sort of disruption on the internet, on a mass basis, that would be probably the only way that Russia would come at the United States.”

Tillis also addressed whether he thinks Putin plans to stop his invasion at Ukraine’s borders. He said he could think of several other countries Putin might consider invading next.

HELPING UKRAINE

Tillis said that he wants the United States to help Ukraine defend itself.

“I think we should use every possible option to arm and equip the Ukrainian people,” Tillis said.

He added that whoever planned the invasion miscalculated the response of both Ukraine and NATO.

“I think the coordinated response is getting the attention of the Kremlin, and certainly the Russian people, and as these thousands of Russian soldiers go home to their families, I believe that Putin is going to have increased problems back home, and we have to keep our foot on the accelerator,” Tillis said.

Tillis said more sanctions are needed and not just in Russia. He said any country which gives even $1 in aid to Russia should face consequences 1,000 times as great.

He said he’s working with other senators to urge the Biden administration to transfer MiG fighter jets and high altitude missile defense systems to Ukraine for their military to use. Tillis said he has heard Ukraine already has around 20 to 30 MiG fighter jets in the country.

He added that Russia is using precision-guided weapons. One, he said, came within 11 miles of the Polish border. He said now they’re watching Russia bomb a hospital, villages and even Ukrainians waiting in line for food.

NO FLY ZONE

As for Zelenskyy’s request for a no-fly zone, Tillis said he can’t support it.

Doing so would ban certain aircraft from the skies above Ukraine, which would require enforcement, including shooting the aircraft down, if they enter the restricted airspace.

“I think if you establish a no-fly zone, then what happens when a Russian plane crosses over and it has to be taken out?” Tillis said. “Then you’re talking about a response from a NATO country which lays a predicate for World War III.”

Tillis said that’s why he’s intent on getting materials to Ukraine so it could enforce its own no-fly zone.

NORTH CAROLINA’S RESPONSE

North Carolina’s delegation took to social media Wednesday following Zelenskyy’s address.

Rep. Richard Hudson called on the United States to do more to shut off Russia’s ability to continue its “heinous war.”

“We stand with the people of Ukraine and cannot lead from behind,” Hudson tweeted.

Rep. Greg Murphy put out a video statement on Twitter describing Zelenskyy’s call as “heartbreaking.”

“President Zelenskyy is a man of courage,” Murphy said. “He’s a man of fortitude. He knows there is a bounty on his head. But we are all Ukrainians today. We are all Ukrainians because we all care about peace.”

Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who was caught on camera last week calling Zelenskyy “a thug” and the Ukrainian government “evil,” put out a softer statement following Zelenskyy’s speech saying, “the Ukrainian people’s resilience in the face of Russian aggression has inspired the world. The commitment they have shown to the preservation of their sovereign nation is extraordinary.”

But he cautioned the United States from going into war with Russia and encouraged finding strategic means to help.

Rep. Ted Budd, a U.S. Senate candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has described Putin as intelligent but evil in recent weeks.

“President Zelenskyy’s remarks to Congress underscore the need to provide more lethal aid to help Ukraine repel Putin’s evil invasion,” Budd said Wednesday. “We should impose stronger trade restrictions on Russia to further stifle Putin’s ability to project power and pay for his unjust war.”

RESPONDING TO OTHERS IN CONGRESS

Tillis was asked about his congressional colleagues’ recent statements about Putin during his news conference Wednesday.

“I think Vladimir Putin is a liar,” Tillis said.

Tillis said Putin lied to his troops and led many to believe they were involved in an exercise before they invaded Ukraine. He added that Putin lied to the United States and NATO about his intentions.

Now, Tillis said, he’s authorizing the bombings and killing of women, children and innocent civilians.

He pointed to a video Zelenskyy showed to Congress Wednesday depicting the horror that has unfolded in Ukraine.

“He’s allowing the mass murder of Ukrainians,” Tillis said. “I can’t imagine that this person, Vladimir Putin, that a single positive word should be said about him. He needs to get out of Russia. He needs to get out of Ukraine. He needs to start, I think, respecting sovereign nations and I do believe that (if he is) successful in Ukraine, he’ll look elsewhere.”