tonight from Ukraine, good to
see you.
For more on what Ukraine needs
in order to counter Russia, we
get a rare perspective from an
American who has fought in that
war.
William brangham has that story.
William: After doing several
tours as an army ranger in Iraq
and Afghanistan, and after
-- and then several years in
eastern Europe as a green beret,
my next guest thought his
military days were over and
decided to go to graduate
school.
But then Russia invaded Ukraine,
and that all changed.
Former staff sergeant David
Bramlette left the U.S.
Last March, went to Ukraine, and
voluntarily fought against the
Russians for 10 months.
He led a multi-national team of
up to 50 other volunteers and
former soldiers.
David Bramlette is back, and
back getting his master's degree
at Johns Hopkins school of
advanced international studies,
and he joins us now.
David, thank you so much for
being here.
Can you explain a little bit
more about the decision you
made?
You seemingly had put your
military life behind you.
You were in graduate school.
But that all changes.
David: Sitting in graduate
school, talking about Ukraine.
I thought, I can talk about
Ukraine or I can go over and do
something about it, so I did.
It's that simple.
William: It was the fact that
the Russians had illegally
invaded another country that
stood out to you?
David: To me this conflict is
black-and-white, and after
serving in Afghanistan and Iraq
three times, I felt it was time
for me to put my skills to use,
a conflict that was good versus
evil.
This is as clear-cut as it gets.
I think it is the most righteous
conflict that I will see in my
lifetime.
This is democracy in Europe we
are talking about.
William: Given you are
volunteering your services to
the Ukrainians, you have a very
unique perspective I think a lot
of us are curious about.
Why do you think the Russians
have seemingly done soy
and Ukrainians done so well?
Da I will go back to my Iraq
and Afghanistan experience.
I saw on the ground what a
motivated group of individuals
can do to a superpower
essentially.
If you look at the Ukrainian
resolve to resist, the willpower
to fight, it all comes down to
that.
I think a lot of academics, a
lot of people in government,
place too much emphasis on
quantitative analysis.
The number of Jews, the number
of tanks, the number of -- the
number of twos, the number of
tanks.
Fundamentally that's why.
Geoff: --
William: As you know, president
zelenskyy was in the eu and U.S.
Asking for more and better
weapons.
From your perspective pushing
against the Russians, what do
Ukrainians need most?
David: I may be contrary in on
this.
I think instead of focusing on
arms maneuvers and big battle
tanks, I think we need to focus
on weapons systems that are
going to have immediate effects
on the battlefield.
William: High-powered surface to
surface missiles?
David: Yeah.
William: The U.S. Says we don't
have enough to give right now.
David: In my opinion with
Ukraine I think what happens in
Ukraine is going to set the
fecorhe next caweay not have enough for us
right now but I think it
worth opening up the stocks of
what we have to ve it to them.
To push the missile attacks back
farther, you increase the
survivability of these units,
these new brigades of
conscriptees, Ukrainians when
they have to go against the
offensives and push on the
Russian lines.
William: So you think that is
the most critical thing, even
though we are hearing signals
that Russians might be amassing
more forces on the border, you
think those are the more
critical tools.
David: Those are absolutely
esy allow a
decentralized form of air
defense, so if the Russians
decide to try to make a play for
air superiority, which in my
opinion would be the worst case
scenario for Ukraine.
If Russia can gain air
superiority, it's going to be an
entirely different battlefield
and the Ukrainians will have a
very hard time putting up a
conventional resistance.
William: Here in D.C. There is
seemingly a split over support
for Ukraine.
The president, his party, and
some Republicans argue we need
to be doing everything we can.
Some Republicans argue we are
spending too much money
supporting Ukraine and our
interests lie elsewhere.
What do you argue to the people
saying enough is enough?
David: I would ask them to go to
places like kharkiv, donetsk,
see those places firsthand and
then tell me the same thing.
William: What are they going to
see?
David: There are whole
neighborhoods that have been
leveled, razed to the ground,
not a single roof insight.
This is an epic battle for the
heart of democracy and if we
don't take care of this battle
now, we are going to have tons
of problems downstream
internationally.
Taiwan, other authoritarian
regimes.
What does it signal to them if
we are not able to defend
democracy in Europe?
William: Thank you for being
here.