BY JON JACKSON ON 9/18/23 AT 11:58 AM EDT
An American working as a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military responded to Senator J.D. Vance after the Republican lawmaker sent a letter to U.S. officials expressing his concerns regarding her work for Kyiv.
Vance’s September 15 letter about Sarah Ashton-Cirillo, a spokesperson of the Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. In his message, Vance raised several questions about Ashton-Cirillo and accused her of threatening “physical violence to anyone who circulates ‘Russian propaganda'” during a video message she had made.
“Like myself, Senator Vance understands the importance of the First Amendment, and defending it is part of upholding an oath,” Ashton-Cirillo told Newsweek.
Vance requested information about whether Ashton-Cirillo is employed by the Ukrainian military and if she is being “compensated using American resources.” He also asked if she was an American citizen, as well as if she had ever served for American intelligence services.
Vance additionally asked the U.S. officials if “we have reason to believe Ukrainian forces or intelligence services are planning to commit acts of violence against those who engage in ‘Russian propaganda.’“
“While we can debate the merits of these accusations, engaging in protected speech should not invite threats of violence—otherwise, the First Amendment means nothing,” Vance wrote.
Newsweek reached out to Vance’s office via email for comment.
Ashton-Cirillo is from the United States, and she first arrived in Ukraine in March 2022 to work as a reporter. After experiencing war firsthand, she enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and worked as a combat medic. She also began hosting English-language shows for the TDF before she became a spokesperson for the military branch this summer.
She addressed Vance’s letter in a video posted Monday on X (formerly Twitter). In the clip, she began by thanking the U.S. for its support of Ukraine from Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s invading forces and said, “We in the TDF and across Ukraine believe journalists are heroes and have the right to report on Ukraine’s war for liberation without interference.”
Ashton-Cirillo referenced Vance’s accusation about her supporting violence against members of Kremlin-backed media by saying that “the Russian propagandists and war criminals who are spreading lies and pushing false narratives are not journalists, they are information agents and an extension of the Putin-Prigozhin effort to spread chaos and wreak havoc across the globe.”
“In Ukraine, we do not seek vengeance only justice,” she said.
As for Vance’s question about Ukraine’s military seeking to take action against propagandists, Ashton-Cirillo told Newsweek that “International Tribunals along with the Ukrainian courts are in place to indict and hold fair trials for those who are suspected of committing war crimes.”
She added, “Only the Kremlin propagandists have spoken of extrajudicial killings since political assassinations and journalist murders are a hallmark of the Putin regime.”
In the video posted on X, Ashton-Cirillo also answered if she was working for the U.S. government in any capacity.
“Simply put, I am an American serving as a Ukrainian infantry soldier and combat medic who was brought from the zero line and assigned to the TDF’s Media Team in the dual role of spokesperson and Russian disinformation analyst,” she said.
Ashton-Cirillo also hinted at other “disappointing” speculation about her.
“While in Ukraine we are fighting for global liberty and the ideology of victory, too many in Moscow and across the world are still caught up in focusing on the tired trope of gender chaos,” Ashton-Cirillo, who is transgender, said in the video.
In the past, Vance has called for cutting off U.S. support for Ukraine, arguing that additional funding could prolong the war.
When asked by Newsweek if Vance’s letter might be a reflection of his broader views about ending U.S. support for Kyiv, Ashton-Cirillo answered that “Vance has been elected by the voters of Ohio to ask questions that are important to them, and so I can’t speculate as to why he wrote the letter, only that he is doing what the voters of his state elected him for.”
Ashton-Cirillo ended her X video by saying she has “never been more proud to be a U.S. citizen as I am fighting on behalf of the Ukrainian people against the tyranny of Russia and their assorted enablers, all of whom are enemies of the United States.”
“I’ll finish by stating unequivocally that I only answer to three groups of people: My Ukrainian commanders, the Ukrainian people and the American taxpayer,” she said.
Original article, with video, here :
JD Vance is taking a leaf out of the putler-Goebbells playbook: always accuse your enemies of what you are doing.
A cursory google of Vance’s statements reveals that he is a key player on the putler wing of the GOP, with a vicious hatred of Ukraine. I’d like to see the entire putler wing; as well as the tankies from the far left, be aggressively prosecuted for promoting the interests of a genocidal nazi regime.
Btw, as we have seen consistently, putinaZis and their fans with hangups about gays/trannies etc usually turn out themselves to be sexual deviants. You only have to see the video on YouTube of the tiny poisoner lifting the shirt of a small boy to kiss his stomach for proof of this.
What the heck is that, a guy or girl. America is getting disgusting.
It needs to be removed from the TDF
That would be a person who has volunteered and is working to help Ukraine.
Unlike Vance, who actually is disgusting and probably would prefer to provide oral services to his tiny Fuhrer putler than help Ukraine.
Wft,
I have questioned your loyalty but now I am sure.
What in God’s name are you doing on this website and how aren’t you banned?
Says the Muppet, lol…
Bo, obviously this is your first exposure to Sarah A-C. Before you judge her take a look at what she’s done. Went to the front line as a medic. Was injured in fighting. Earned the respect of her brothers and sisters in arms. If she’s passed muster with all them, shouldn’t you show her a little respect?
The fact that you sneer at a volunteer who is helping Ukraine, yet fail to condemn a putinoid sack of shit like Vance proves that you are a kremtroll.
Sarah A-C has earned everyone’s respect the hard way. A true asset for freedom.
“Only the Kremlin propagandists have spoken of extrajudicial killings since political assassinations and journalist murders are a hallmark of the Putin regime.”
Indeed, a shit nugget like Vance will be perfectly silent on this truth, using Nazi methodologies instead, to accuse this brave woman of such intentions.
Her courageous efforts, dedication, and message content should not be lost by merely focusing on her personal struggles or choices. I’m not in favor of alterations not conducive with medical need or prudence. Many Christians so called or genuine should have a much more gracious and loving response to all regardless of the situation they are in or the struggles they are going through. Not that “hyper grace” should be the norm or as Paul put it, shall we sin all the more that grace may abound, God forbid. But ALL have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. In our day and in times past people have struggled with identity and purpose in life. Apart from being in Christ we are left to our own devices and floundering.
When Christians meet a person with gender dysphoria, our primary aim is to love them. As Christian ethicist Andrew Walker notes in his book, God and the Transgender Debate, loving a transgender person involves dignity, empathy, compassion, and patience.
We must recognize the God-given dignity of a transgender person who is created in God’s image, possesses great worth, and is deserving of honor and respect. We work hard to empathize with them, trying to see life from their perspective. We have compassion on them, befriending them and walking with them through their life experiences and struggles. And we have patience, entering into their lives to love them for the long-haul. Love is hard work, but we Christians should be known for it, particularly among those who disagree with us.
Christian response however to the LGBTQ+ as an agenda and a movement should be resisted.
In the long run, this ideological movement and the power-brokers, professional agitators, lobbies, and corporations who promote it will harm not only society at large but also vulnerable individuals who are experiencing gender dysphoria.
As the great sociologist Philip Rieff argued, American society is in the midst of an unprecedented experiment in building society apart from religion. One of the primary ways we’ve done this is by overthrowing the Judeo-Christian view of sex and gender. By untethering sex from marriage, we have enabled the normalization of hard core pornography, extramarital affairs, explosive growth of STDs, death of 60 million babies in the womb, and a divorce epidemic. And by severing gender identity from God-given sex, we will likewise reap a psychological, social, cultural, and political whirlwind.
The chasm between the biblical view of sexuality and the secular view grows wider every day. Social media and the entertainment industry now celebrate “gender fluidity” as a more enlightened way of thinking than the biblical view. The trend has grown quickly, with transgender-identified celebrities making headlines and drag queens leading story times at schools and libraries. Society faces unexpected legal and ethical challenges as transgender-identified people compete on sports teams and use public restrooms of their non-biological sex. Parents increasingly allow their underage children to chemically and surgically alter their bodies, and several states now permit minors to do so without their parents’ consent.
If God made men and women fundamentally and comprehensively different, then the idea that a man could ever become a woman (or vice versa) is simply impossible. The differences between men and women can’t be overcome simply because one person feels they’re a member of the opposite sex. Your psychology (feelings) cannot change your ontology (being).
Understanding why persons might perceive themselves the way they do, and giving biblical counsel that doesn’t simply repeat what political correctness demands, offers an opportunity for genuine counsel and compassion (Prov. 3:5–6). Biblical counsel would begin by helping a person embrace, however difficult it may seem, that their birth sex is a testimony to their true nature, and that perceptions of a different gender identity, while sincere, do not constitute an actual identity change.
Only Christians humble enough to recognize their own brokenness will be capable of walking with people through struggles that seem very different from their own.
Much Respect to Sarah for all she has done and continues to do in the fight for freedom. Many people struggle with gender dysphoria. And each one of them is an image bearer of God, imbued with endless dignity and eternal worth.
In writing this I borrowed from three sources which really is just the tip of the iceberg, but helped me say what I wanted to say.
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/a-biblical-perspective-on-transgender-identity-a-primer-for-parents-and-strugglers/
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-christian-response-to-gender-dysphoria/