On NBC, Ukraine Parliament Member SLAMS Biden SOTU as ‘Total Disappointment’

Appearing on NBC’s Act Now show Wednesday morning, Ukrainian parliament member Oleksandra Ustinova slammed President Biden’s State of the Union address as “a total disappointment” in the midst of her country being “executed” by Russian forces. In addition to pleading for a NATO-enforced no-fly zone over Ukraine, Ustinova also demanded “real sanctions” against Russia and Putin.

“To watch what’s happening in your country is unthinkable. What do you think when you see those images from back home?,” co-host Savannah Guthrie asked the politician. Ustinova replied: “Well, I start crying almost all the time. So as I start every morning with texting my friends, my family if they’re okay. Because they’re under heavy shell fires, they’re being bombed every day, heavily bombed.”

Then she noted: “I think the whole Ukraine was watching Biden’s speech last night, President Biden’s speech.”

Guthrie was inspired to ask: “The middle of the night but Ukraine was watching, Ukraine was listening. Did you hear what you wanted and needed to hear from President Biden?”Ustinova took part in the speech.

It was, to be completely honest, a complete disappointment. Let me tell you why. The whole world watches today as the execution of Ukrainians takes place.It is impossible for me to name it in the opposite direction. Because we witness bombs being dropped into civilian homes every day, the right definition of execution is it. We see children dying every day, on the streets and in their houses if they didn’t make it to the bomb shelter. There are bombs going to orphanages and schools.

The international community had promised us protection. Our nuclear weapons were abandoned. And today, when I see President Biden saying that we’re going to protect every inch of the NATO territory. Excuse me, we’ve been promised the same thing when we gave up our nuclear weapons…    

After noting how “The U.S. and NATO have been very forceful, saying there will not be NATO or U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine” and “they will not enforce a no-fly zone,” Guthrie asked: “What is your message to them?” Ustinova responded:

I don’t have a message, I have a question. Is there a line Putin must cross to allow NATO or the U.S. for him to be allowed to intervene? We’re not asking for boots on the ground, we’re asking for the Iron Dome or for the no-fly zone. Protection of the sky is necessary to make sure that no missiles or bombs hit kindergartens.

Ustinova attacked the Biden government for not having economic sanctions strong enough.

And talking about the sanctions, that’s what I want to point out to Americans. I’ve heard the Vice President’s speech right now in the morning, here in the studio. And she was saying you have to protect your economy and that’s why the energy sector is not under sanctions. Well, then we have to go and tell every American that the President of the United States is protecting them from paying extra 20, 30 cents for a gallon of gas and that’s why so many Ukrainians have to die.Tell them SWIFT was used for 7 out 350 banks.

She later reiterated: “And again, if we want to do sanctions, those have to be real sanctions with no exemptions….If we’re talking about the energy sector, this is what’s feeding Putin. That’s his main money, where it comes from. And there are no sanctions for the energy sector.”

NBC made a bold move immediately following Tuesday night’s State of the Union address. They actually filmed the speech and gave very little attention to the conflict in Ukraine.

The complete transcript from the interview on March 2 is available here:

7:36 AM ET

SAVANNAH GUTHIE: Oleksandra Urstinova, a member from Ukraine, is with us. Congresswoman, good morning, it’s good to see you.

OLEKSANDRA UTINOVA [UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER]Good morning.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Ukraine Parliament Member on Biden’s Message]

GUTHRIE : It would have been better. To watch what’s happening in your country is unthinkable. You see these images back from your country. What are you thinking?

USTINOVA: I find myself crying almost every day. So as I start every morning with texting my friends, my family if they’re okay. Because they’re under heavy shell fires, they’re being bombed every day, heavily bombed. And frankly speaking, I was watching – I think the whole Ukraine was watching Biden’s speech last night, President Biden’s speech.

GUTHRIE – It was middle of the evening, Ukraine was awakened and Ukraine was looking. What did you want and need to hear from President Biden, were you able to?

USTINOVA: We were disappointed. It is easy to understand why. The whole world watches today as Ukrainians are executed. The other way round is not possible. Because we witness bombs being dropped into civilian homes every day, the right definition of execution is it. We see children dying every day, on the streets and in their houses if they didn’t make it to the bomb shelter. There are bombs going to orphanages and schools.

The international community had promised us protection. Our nuclear weapons were abandoned. And today, when I see President Biden saying that we’re going to protect every inch of the NATO territory. Excuse me, we’ve been promised the same thing when we gave up our nuclear weapons. And now, we’ve been given $1 billion in support. We have totally destroyed – the Russians have totally destroyed all of the airports in Ukraine, the majority of the roads. While we are thankful for the help, our skies need to be protected. We have been protecting ourselves on the ground, but if we do not protect our sky – if there is a no-fly zone or if there is no dome to protect it with the air defense, we will all go down, people will literally die.

GUTHRIE – The U.S., NATO and other countries have voiced their disapproval at the presence of U.S. forces on the ground in Ukraine.

USTINOVA: I’m not asking for troops.

GUTHRIE: They’ve also said they will not enforce a no-fly zone because that would put them in direct confrontation, potentially, to enforce it, with the Russian military. Your message to them?

USTINOVA: I don’t have a message, I have a question. For NATO and the U.S., what is Putin’s red line? We’re not asking for boots on the ground, we’re asking for the Iron Dome or for the no-fly zone. Protection of the sky is necessary to make sure that no missiles or bombs hit kindergartens.

Putin seems a psychopath every time I hear of his possible provocations. He doesn’t need to be provoked. Nothing was done. We didn’t do anything in 2014, we did not provoke him now. He continues to invade. And he’s bombing the cities, he’s bombing civilians. So that’s why every time I hear that, I have – frankly speaking, I don’t think NATO will be protecting Poland or the Baltic countries when Putin invades. They’ll be saying that it was an act of provocation by those countries. It was because we were promised the same thing.

And talking about the sanctions, that’s what I want to point out to Americans. I’ve heard the Vice President’s speech right now in the morning, here in the studio. And she was saying you have to protect your economy and that’s why the energy sector is not under sanctions. Well, then we have to go and tell every American that the President of the United States is protecting them from paying extra 20, 30 cents for a gallon of gas and that’s why so many Ukrainians have to die. Tell them SWIFT is in effect for 7 out 350 banks.

GUTHRIE. Are you sure, as both the Vice President of the United States and the President indicated, that these sanctions can be effective in deterring Putin or will Putin simply ignore them, no matter the damage to his economy or his regime’s reputation?

USTINOVA – Sanctions are a tool to bring down the economy that is long-term. The basic protection of our skies is what we require if we urgently need it. Again, we need to impose sanctions if there are to be any exemptions. Because so far, it’s seven out of 300 banks. This isn’t sanctioning. If we’re talking about the energy sector, this is what’s feeding Putin. That’s his main money, where it comes from. The sanctions are not imposed on the energy industry.

GUTHRIE: We have to stop it there but I hope we’ll speak again. Oleksandra Ustinova, and I know you’re expecting a baby in a month, which brings you to this country, and you’re working hard on behalf of yours. Thank you so much for coming. Appreciate it.

Hoda, we’ll send it to you.

WOW.

HODA KOTB – Very powerful conversation.

MELVIN :

Thank you, KOTB Savannah.