Yesterday at 22:20
Exclusive Blitz Talk – interview with a Republican and Trump voter, Marine Scout Sniper, Matthew Sampson, who fought in the trenches of Ukraine for 728 days. Also in the episode, the day after Russia kills civilians in Sumy, the Kremlin claims deliveries of Taurus missiles will lead to escalation.
— Obviously, you just returned from the front lines in Zaporizhzhia, right?
— I did, late last night. Yes, I was there, over by the front lines, about an hour or so outside of the city center, checking out the front lines. I wanted to see firsthand what the situation is there with a former unit that I used to work with, and talk to some of the commanders and my former peers who are there on the ground right now. It was very interesting to talk to them and hear what’s going on. Some of it doesn’t really line up with current headlines.
One of the questions I asked a commander — he’s been doing this work since 2011, it’s his profession, he’s with Ukrainian intelligence (HUR), the military intelligence — was how the change in the U.S. administration is directly affecting the front line.
All he really said was that there’s a bit of a morale issue. Overall, the individual soldier at the front has high morale and is very committed to fighting for every inch of ground. But more and more Ukrainians feel like they are being left out of the conversations between the United States and Russia. They want to feel 100% part of the discussion, not sidelined in talks that only involve the U.S. and Russia.
— So, how is the front line being affected in terms of weapons and supplies?
— Personally, based on what I’ve seen in the headlines, I was surprised when he told me that it’s not what the media is portraying. The headlines that say the front line is being negatively affected by changes in the administration are more exciting than the truth.
That’s just a media trick sometimes. Not every reporter or outlet is doing it, but it happens. The area I can really speak on is just Zaporizhzhia, and the commander made clear he can only speak directly about that region.
He hasn’t heard of any new ammunition problems today that weren’t already ongoing six or eight months ago. The same calibers, same systems — the shortages are consistent. The current administration’s policies, at least so far, have had no new negative impact on getting supplies to the front.
— I believe last time we talked, you said Trump is going to win and that it’s a good thing for Ukraine. Do you still believe that?
— I do, absolutely. Just being able to go to the front line and seeing that it’s not being negatively affected provides some evidence to support that.
If the Trump administration was actively trying to hurt the front line, he’s been in office long enough that it would’ve been felt by now.
— So you think Trump has a major plan to help Ukraine win, or at least bring the war to a just and lasting peace? Because my colleagues in American media say they don’t believe Trump has any plan.
— I’ve never met Trump, never talked to him, but he doesn’t strike me as someone who makes decisions without a plan. Everything I’ve seen and heard about him over my life — I’m 37 now — suggests he’s deliberate. He’s been in pop culture since before I was born, in movies, shows like Fresh Prince or Home Alone.
I’m also not someone who does things without a plan. Even this trip was planned because I’m returning to Washington, D.C. this weekend for the Ukraine Action Summit next week. That’s the main purpose of this visit — to get updates on what’s happening here since I hadn’t been back since November.
So, just like me, I assume Trump has a plan. Whether we agree with it or not, or even know what it is, doesn’t matter. Most people won’t ever know the exact details of any president’s plan — and we’re not meant to. We don’t have access to that info for good reason.
— Right. So, the Ukraine Action Summit — you’re going back to the U.S. for that?
— Yes. Similar to what I did a year ago. That was the fourth Ukraine Action Summit. They do it twice a year, fall and spring. I missed the fifth one in September, but the sixth is next week.
Last year there were over 500 people from 47 U.S. states — Ukrainians, Americans, Ukrainian-Americans, refugees, and others who are just pro-Ukrainian.
— And what’s the general attitude toward you? They know you’re a Republican, right? But you’re a Republican who fought for Ukraine, had no connection to it, and risked your life in the trenches.
— Pretty close. I believe today is day 728 that I’ve spent in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began. I did 635 days consecutively before I left. That might make me the longest-serving U.S. citizen in Ukraine doing combat operations — at least continuously.
There are Americans who arrived before me, but many left for short breaks. As far as I know, I’m the longest-serving American fighting here who wasn’t living in Ukraine before.
And yes, I have no prior connection to this country. No relatives, no history. Four years ago, if you said “Ukraine,” I wouldn’t have known what you meant. I knew some Soviet history, but Ukraine was just not on my radar.
— But now you have friends here.
— I do now, yes. In the pro-Ukrainian community, some are very thankful — and that’s cool.
— And some are not?
— Yeah, interestingly. Some are supportive until they ask whether I’m Republican or Democrat. Because in the U.S. media, Ukraine tends to be portrayed as a Democrat issue — but it’s not. It’s bipartisan.
Some people refuse to talk to me once they learn I’m a Republican fighting for their country. There have been times where I’ve been standing in front of them in the same gear I wore in the trenches, and they just shut down when they hear I’m a Republican.
— Even knowing you were in the trenches, fighting Russians in Zaporizhzhia or Kyiv — they still don’t want to talk?
— Yes. I’ve had people look me straight in the eye and say, “You should go kill yourself.” And they weren’t joking or being sarcastic.
And these are Ukrainians — or pro-Ukrainians living in America, well supported by the U.S., and saying these things to someone who’s fighting for their values.
Some say the only useful thing I could do is die on the front line. Others simply say thank you but disagree. But the ones that stick with me are the ones who say I’m not worthy of life because I think differently.
