Hello Congressman Murphy,

I just recently returned to North Carolina – the state where I spent most of my 6-year army career. It’s good to be back in the safety and security of my beloved United States of America.

Until last month, I lived as an ex-pat in Ukraine – for many years, in fact. About a year ago, prior to our deciding to return to the US, my wife and discussed purchasing a home in Bucha, as it was an affluent suburb of Kyiv in the direction of my wife’s family’s residence. My daughter was born just 3 miles from there.

The tragedy of Russian massacres there is very real and close for me. I imagine my own family when I see the horrible images of victims and listen to the testimonies now emerging. One of the most troubling things is the audacity and tenacity of Russian propaganda — it seems especially intense in much of the dissident Conservative media which I used to frequent, as I considered myself a Trump Republican.

I hope the propaganda isn’t reaching you. I have personal ties all over Ukraine – from Luhansk in the east, to the Bucha and Irpin, to Kherson in the South where Russian soldiers are looting and threatening locals, to Lviv in the west. In this case, the main stream media is telling the truth, and Russian propaganda is breathing through the alternative media outlets which gained prominence when Trump and his followers were so heavily censored.

Please consider these two essays which I wrote about Russia and Russian Propaganda after witnessing the 2014 invasions of Crimea and Donbas:

https://www.iccrp.org/en/nine-lessons-of-russian-propaganda/
https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/a-look-at-russian-civilization-power-truth-trust-and-war

I thank you for your earlier support of restrictions on Russian energy imports, and your strong condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

I hope your opposition to the recent referendum on supporting NATO was done because of some technical nuance. I’d be happy to hear more of your thinking on the subject. I’d also be happy to share more of my thoughts any time.

Thank you very much.

Respectfully,
Roman Skaskiw