Liam Conner
The following is a transcript of an interview with Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, which aired on May 19, 2024.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We are now joined by the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, who has just returned from a trip to Kiev. Good morning.
AMBASSADOR OF UKRAINE TO THE USA OKSANA MARKAROVA: Good morning. It’s always good to be back.
MARGARET BRENNAN: It’s great to have you in person. Secretary Blinken was in Kiev, you were there. What did you learn from these face-to-face meetings with President Zelenskyy?
AMB. MARKAROVA: Well, it was, as always, a very frank, very good and very productive discussion. The secretary has been there for two days. So not only the meeting with the President, which, of course, was very profound in all aspects of our strategic friendship, but also with the Prime Minister, with Deputy Prime Minister Federov, so many visits. Most importantly, I think it was good to align what we’re going to do, how we’re going to make the best use of these funds that Congress has provided, and this announcement of 2 billion in support for the FMF, which could, along the way, go towards joint production and Ukrainian production is, I think, a big step forward. Very good visit, it’s always good to see the secretary there in person.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Are the weapons arriving fast enough?
AMB. MARKAROVA: Well, there is no such thing as fast enough when facing such a terrible enemy, and we have to recover for a long break in arms, ordering or starting supplies. So no, we need it to be faster.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Ambassador, we have more to talk about, but I’ll have to take a commercial break to do that and come back with a more in-depth conversation with Ambassador Markarova. So stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to “Face the Nation.” We now continue our conversation with the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States. Ambassador President Zelenskyy has made it clear on several occasions that Ukraine needs more Patriot missile systems. He says his country only has about 25% of the air defense systems it needs. Will the United States provide this aid?
AMB. MARKAROVA: Well, first of all, let me support President Zelenskyy on the need. I mean, of course I was only there for two days, but every day we hear on the news – just today, you know, the terrible blow to Kharkiv oblast again, 27 injured, five dead already, we don’t know, maybe more. It is clear that Russia is doubling down on its war crimes. They found new friends to produce more of these horrible glide bombs. Just trying to destroy as many peaceful cities in Ukraine as possible. So the quickest way to stop this is to provide us with more than more air defense. It’s also the efficient way, you know, because not only will it save lives, but it will save energy generation, everything that we will have to spend a lot of money and effort to restore and rebuild. So, desperately needed. Now, we are in very active conversations, literally in the Pentagon, and I would like to thank you as we are, preparing for the new Ramstein Group meeting next week, working day and night to meet it. But frankly, this is the moment when everyone has to give us a little of their own. Therefore, we are very grateful to those who are providing us with their systems. We are grateful to the US for seeking them out, enabling them and funding some of them, but we need more and it is time to literally make some bold decisions and provide us with more of this so that we can see them immediately, wherever we can. I need them. We need two, at least two in Kharkiv and that area. But other places also need to be protected.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And Germany was looking to provide some assistance, as I understand it in that regard.
AMB. MARKAROVA: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You know, you just mentioned an upcoming summit in Ramstein. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that Ukraine has asked the United States for help in attacking inside Russia. The US is afraid that American weapons will be used in this type of attack. What does Ukraine intend to do?
AMB. MARKAROVA: Well, first of all, you remember, we already had this discussion two years ago. We have the right to defend ourselves. This: We are defending ourselves, whether we are attacking Russian troops on our territory or Russian troops outside our territory. And we have tried to do that. But of course there were some restrictions. Now I will not publicly enter into discussions – where we are in discussions with the US or with any of our other partners. But I just want to say that it’s clear that Russia is an aggressor here. It’s clear when they are preparing something. So, UN rules, international law and all the other rules that exist in this country, which Russia violated, by the way, give us a clear right to defend ourselves by attacking an aggressor, whether on our territory or to- or where they you are launching or initiating the attack.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you need more training for your troops? I know that now there is a new recruitment, a lower age. You need more men fighting.
AMB. MARKAROVA: And the training is continuous. And, frankly, this is where we cooperate with the US and the other partners. We would like more training to be done in Ukraine, so that we not only train our troops, but also become institutionally stronger, building our army of the future there, which will protect not only Ukraine, but all of us from Russia. So yes, during training, it will be one of the main discussions with allies.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And in Ukraine. Interesting. Ambassador, thank you for providing us with this update. We’re back.
