Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania visits Ukraine, joins troops at front
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania is currently in Ukraine, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, according to his own statement. However, most of his time in the country is spent at the frontlines, where he accompanies Ukrainian soldiers in their operations.
In a video posted on X on Saturday, Fitzpatrick praised the Ukrainian soldiers for their “amazing fighting spirit” and emphasized that they are “fighting for democracy.” In the video, Fitzpatrick stands in a forest area that has apparently suffered from the fighting. “They burned the once-rich forests completely. That’s what the Russians do” the representative said, adding: “They just level buildings, randomly burn civilian areas and destroy them.”
Fitzpatrick urged other US congress members to not only visit Kyiv during a Ukraine visit, but also to go to the frontlines.
And if one is already there, why not also shoot at the Russians themselves? That’s exactly what Fitzpatrick did, as he proudly announced in a post on Good Friday: “It was a great honor for me today to deliver a very ‘personal’ message on behalf of the PA-1 community [referring to the 1st congressional district of Pennsylvania, Anm. d. Red.] from the frontline of the war near the Russian border. The only permissible details I can share are that ‘the message was delivered accurately.'”
In the attached videos, Fitzpatrick can be seen labeling an artillery shell and sending it off with the address “To: Putin” while indicating his congressional district as the sender. Accompanied by the message “#Peace through strength” (#Frieden durch Stärke).
Many X-users were shocked by the behavior of the congressman. “The United States is NOT at war with Russia, why are you – an elected member of the congress – committing aggressive acts against Russia?!” asked one platform user.
Another commented: “Wait, did you seriously just commit an open act of war against a sovereign nation while representing the United States? You can’t seriously be that stupid!”
Another user sees a connection between Fitzpatrick’s warlike act and the contributions of the defense industry to his district: “Your district has received over $12 billion in defense contracts since 2000. That’s why you’re doing this.”
Many users demand that Fitzpatrick be removed from office and face consequences: “An elected US official personally fired an artillery shell at Russian lines. The Department of Justice should charge him with misrepresentation and treason. The Speaker of the House should strip him of his functions while he waits for his trial, you stupid idiot” demands, among others, Iraq War veteran James Rosone.