CNN Newsroom: Interview With Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)

Interview

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It's a familiar pattern, isn't it? I mean we were going to support a war of insurgency, with javelin, stingers and light weaponry.

That moved on to Howitzers, HIMARS, heavy armor. What were once noes are now yeses, following the advice of Supreme Commander Clark of NATO who said at some point we have to stop worrying about Putin's red lines and our own.

My red lines got crossed when I saw a maternity hospital get collapsed. When I stood at Bucha last summer at a mass grave. We have to help Ukraine win quickly. I hear the phrase as long as it takes we'll be with you.

Again, President Zelenskyy said that to me directly in Kyiv and in Washington, D.C.

Yesterday I spoke to St. Nicholas School here in Chicago. There are 75 refugees under eighth grade there. Do I really want to go back there in a year after another anniversary?

We've got to ask ourselves, are we giving them just enough material to keep a static war to protect themselves? And what will it take for ultimate victory.

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Sure. But let's look at the pattern and just look at the situation with tanks -- Abrams tanks. That was a no, no, no. Now it's a yes but because of those delays, and we weren't preparing or training the Ukrainians for that, I'd be shocked if those Abrams tanks get there before 2024. There's an offensive coming from the Russians now.

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I think we can. And look, I appreciate the fact the Biden administration deserves more credit than anyone outside of Ukraine for the success so far. They have been masterful in unifying the west with NATO, keeping the U.S. behind this, and this extraordinary amount of military, humanitarian, economic aid that's gone forward.

But I think this is a blind spot that we need to get over. And I keep hearing about Republicans not supporting this. Look, there's a resolution by the Republicans to cut off the funding. It's co- sponsored by all but 11 of them.

I think it's more helpful to listen to Republican chairman McCall, Republican chairman Turner, far more influential within the Republican ranks. They're very supportive of helping find a quick victory here.

So my only concern in that vein is that the speaker seems to have made some sort of deal with the devil on the far extreme right and he may be more influenced than he should be with their take on this.

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Look, the Chinese can't be trusted on this, but they're going to have some impact on this. They have the ability to have an impact on this war by their decisions to help the Russians. My concern is that some of this aid is sort of dual use materials, chips that can be used for commercial use but also wartime use.

Do I think they'll go more overt and provide artillery shells and ammunitions? I doubt it, but it's of great concern.

Literally the weeks before this conflict started, the Chinese and the Russians as you know signed an agreement to come much closer together. And the Chinese came out against NATO expansion. So they're going to have a lot of influence here. Do I trust them to be a neutral arbiter? Absolutely not.

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Thank you.

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