Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) insists Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants American soldiers to fight and die for his country.
During a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, Greene appeared to reference a video clip of the Ukrainian president speaking to reporters that was making the rounds on social media — without proper context.
“The Left has told us something that should put fear in the heart of every parent, and not just parents, every single person,” Greene began. “They said they’re coming for our children.”
She added, “Whether it’s like Zelenskyy saying he wants our sons and daughters to go die in Ukraine.”
Watch the video below:
Marjorie Taylor Greene quickly goads her CPAC audience into booing Zelenskyy pic.twitter.com/EXpZazxHrg
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 3, 2023
Conservatives circulated a shortened video of Zelenskyy speaking. It appeared to show him calling for the U.S. to send troops to Ukraine to help combat Russia’s invasion.
“The U.S. will have to send their sons and daughters in exactly the same way as we are sending our sons and daughters to war. And they will have to fight, because it’s NATO that we’re talking about, and they will be dying. God forbid, because it’s a horrible thing,” the Ukrainian president says in the shortened video.
Zelensky now directly threatening us and claiming American sons and daughters will have to fight and die for Ukraine.
— Monica Crowley (@MonicaCrowley) March 1, 2023
HELL NO pic.twitter.com/JAcEN7ODG3
The video has received millions of shares and sparked the ire of conservatives.
However, it was taken out of context.
In the full video, Zelenskyy was warning of the repercussions of the world not continuing to support Ukraine.
“The U.S. is never going to give up on the NATO member states. And if it so happens that Ukraine, due to various opinions and the weakening and depleting of assistance, loses, Russia is going to enter the Baltic states, NATO member states,” he said.
He continued, “And then the U.S. will have to send their sons and daughters in exactly the same way as we are sending [our] sons and daughters to war. And they will have to fight, because it’s NATO that we’re talking about, and they will be dying. God forbid, because it’s a horrible thing.”
Watch the full clip below (starting at 1:39:45)
Zelenksyy was referring to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) charter, which states, “The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all and consequently they agree that, if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognised by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked.”
Still, during her speech at CPAC, Greene said, “I’m still committed to saying no money to Ukraine, and that country needs to find peace not war.”
Big CPAC applause for this from Marjorie Taylor Greene: “No money to Ukraine, and that country needs to find peace not war. And while I will look at a camera and directly tell Zelenskyy you better leave your hands off our sons and daughters, because they’re not dying over there” pic.twitter.com/YfynXswFPj
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 3, 2023
“I will look at a camera and directly tell Zelenskyy you better leave your hands off our sons and daughters because they’re not dying over there,” she added.
