Matthew Sampson – Fighting In Bakhmut, Advocating in Washington. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A man who knows what it takes to fight in the trenches of Bakhmut and advocating Ukraine in Washington DC, leaving his fingerpints on 60 Billion USD Aid Package – interview with Matthew Sampson<\/strong>, the US Marine Scout Sniper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Last time we spoke in February, you mentioned that you were leaving for America the following day for about two or three months.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Yes, I spent about half a year there\u2014much longer than expected. There was a lot more happening than I initially thought. I was advocating for Ukraine, which was my main reason for going back. I also had some family issues that came up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Can you tell us more about that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Yes, unfortunately, part of the reason for going home was that my mother\u2019s health had worsened. She had been battling cancer for some time, and I wanted to be there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 My condolences.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Thank you. Shortly after I returned to the U.S., I went to visit her in the hospital, but she passed away 40 minutes before I arrived. I didn\u2019t get to say goodbye, and it had been three years since I had last seen her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 I\u2019m really sorry to hear that. What about your father?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 My father passed away in 2009, the day I went to Afghanistan. He also died of cancer. My mother was the only parent I had left at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 That\u2019s tough. I\u2019m truly sorry. But you\u2019ve made sacrifices, and so have many Ukrainians in this war.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Yes, Ukrainians have sacrificed so much more, losing loved ones to bullets, bombs, and explosions. While my parents\u2019 illnesses were expected, what\u2019s happening here is tragic and much more sudden for families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 I\u2019ve noticed your bracelets\u2014are those for your brothers-in-arms?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Yes, they are. These bracelets are for two men I worked with who were killed in Bakhmut in 2023. One was a U.S. Navy SEAL, and the other was a Ukrainian-Canadian. Both were honorable men, and they\u2019re deeply missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Thank you for sharing that. What else were you doing while in the U.S.?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Most of my time\u2014about 80%\u2014was spent advocating for Ukraine. I traveled over 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) to speak with Americans about the war, both politicians and regular citizens. I also tried fundraising, but that didn\u2019t go too well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 What happened?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 For example, at one fundraiser in Reno, Nevada, I ended up with $70 and a free Coke, which didn\u2019t even cover the fuel costs. Many Americans don\u2019t realize the war is still going on, and there\u2019s a lot of misinformation about Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 What kind of misinformation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Some people think Zelenskyy is pocketing aid money, but I explained that most aid comes in the form of equipment, not cash, and any cash is monitored very strictly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 What can the average American do to help Ukraine?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 They can donate to people like me or contact their representatives in Congress to support aid for Ukraine. It\u2019s essential to keep the U.S. and Europe out of a world war by pushing back against Russia\u2019s aggression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 How can people find you online?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Just Google \u201cMatthew Samson Ukraine,\u201d and most of what comes up will be me. My website and fundraising links are there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 I saw you met passionate volunteers in Poland last week. Can you tell us more?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Yes, I met a group in Poland who make camouflage netting for Ukrainian forces. They\u2019re all volunteers, mainly Ukrainians, and they do amazing work to support the front lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Going back to the front lines, there\u2019s a lot of talk about Ukrainian advances. What\u2019s your take on that?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 It\u2019s been almost 100 years since Russia was invaded, and this shows how organized and capable Ukraine\u2019s military is when given the weapons and ammo they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 What\u2019s next? Moscow or something else?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 [Laughs] Maybe Moscow, but seriously, advancing too close to Moscow could escalate into nuclear conflict, which we want to avoid at all costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 What would you do if you were the general commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 I\u2019d focus on educating the people helping us, especially about the misinformation they\u2019re receiving. Education is crucial in gaining more support for Ukraine\u2019s cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n