Sound On: Capt. Scott Kelly on Ukraine Medical Funding

thing to consider here. In some US military personnel apparently now operating inside Ukraine. We're gonna get to that in a moment. Ned Price, spokesman for the State Department, says, Vladimir Putin continues to target civilians. We've all seen a number of UH strikes and bombardments that appear to be nothing more than an effort to brutalize the people of Ukraine. And as we discussed on this program, there's gonna be some change is coming, most likely in the form of

the House leadership. If Kevin McCarthy gets his way and in fact become speaker. He says, no more blank checks. And we've heard questions from progressives on the left as well about how much we should be spending. Although this infamous letter was withdrawn, this is going to be a concerted debate as we move beyond the mid terms and towards the election. That's why I remember we talked to Mark Hamill and now look at this. He doesn't just

play one. He is an astronaut. Scott Kelly, former NASA astronaut, retired U. S. Navy captain, is now one of the newest ambassadors to United This is the fundraising platform put forth by President Vladimir Zelenski. Kathain Kelly, it's great to have you with us here on Bloomberg. I appreciate the

time today very much. What did President Zelenski tell you when you spoke with him, Well, the first thing he just said is, you know, officially asked me if I would be part of this fundraising platform, and of course, you know, I agreed. I'm a big supporter of Ukraine. I have Ukrainian family members, Ukrainian friends, and uh, you know, all of those people are suffering in different ways, and I think we we all need to do whatever we can to support Ukraine because I think in the end,

we're really just supporting democracy and and freedom. Even though you know this is a war currently in Europe. It doesn't mean that it's going to get get better if we, uh don't do whatever we can to help. So how do you get the word out beyond conversations like this one? Captain? How do you help President Zelinski raise the cash and

get the hardware needs? Yeah? Well, I think, you know, certainly social media is important, but also you know, normal regular media like this and and just people you know, passing the word that this is a really important cause. My my area that I'm working on is his medical supplies, particularly ambulances. The Russians destroy you know, ten a week

or they steal them. So um, you know now, like you just mentioned, you know, they're not only because they're losing on the battlefield, they're now taking revenge on innocent civilians, including on their medical infrastructure. Well this is this is fantastic. And are you're you're raising money specifically for ambulances? Is it like the drone program where there they would actually accept donations of ambulances themselves or are European nations helping

on that front too? You know, I think that you know, people have reached out to me with saying that, hey, I have an ambulance don um. So I need to figure that out some more whether that's viable, but currently is it's to raise money to purchase ambulance that will be then used in Ukraine. Are you worried about funding here in the US drying up because of politics? Funding for what? For Ukraine? You know? This was this has been essentially a blank check, if I can use that term.

And it looks like it's gonna be a harder case to make for the president. Yeah, I mean it's uh, you know, certainly, I think anywhere we spend our money uh is uh, you know, needs to be scrutinized, especially

when it's this amount. But I think if you look at the facts here that this is a worthy cause, and you know, I feel like we need to be putting in whatever we can within our means, of course, but within our whatever we can to defeat Russia because I do think this is an existential threat to the you know, the rest of the free world. Well, Captain, you must feel pulled in two different directions here. Obviously, as a as a retired Navy captain, a former fighter pilot,

you've got a certain feeling about this as well. But you are a NASA astronaut who's shared space with Russian cosmonauts. And I wonder how you rationalize that as we try to figure out our future in space. That's a whole different idea here, divorcing Russia and our project for the International Space Station. Do you feel like your hand is being forced in that direction? You know, it's a it's a tough question whether you know Russia should stay a

part of the International Space Station program. I, you know, it's really complicated for them to leave. Having said that, I think we're at the point where we might just show them the door. Obviously, that's my personal opinion. It's not anything I've gotten officially from NASA or anywhere anyone else. I would say that for future programs, you know, without a change of you know, leadership in Russia, Um, that is more in line with you know, Western values on

you know, freedom and democracy. I don't see them participating in any anything ever again with with us. And you've had wonderful working relationships with Russians in the space program, haven't you. Yeah, I have some you know, some great Russian friends in the space program. Some are Cosmos, some

are you know, engineers, administrative personnel that I know. I mean, I know a lot of Russian people, and a lot of them are you know, exactly in line with my thinking and I think most free people's thinking on this, and then there are some others that it's just shocking, how you know, the Russian propaganda that they've been exposed to for you know, decades as just you know, altered their ability to to you know, think rationally on this idea.

I mean, had one Cosmo tell me that, you know, he is absolutely convinced that the Nazis and NATO we're going to are were imminently going to invade Russia and this is the only way they could defend themselves, which is absolutely absurd. Pretty smart, yeah, right, supposed to be. I mean, it's just pretty amazing to think about five th dollars Captain Kelly you raised by launching an n f T to support you. Craz You've been at this for a while. Yeah, I've been at this from from

the very beginning. And like I said, you know, I have a niece and nephew that are Ukrainian Americans. Their dad and my brother in law was an archieve you know a place that is currently you know, you know, really a focal point of this war right now. And yeah, so this is an issue that I took to heart right away. I saw it, as you know, with Russia starting a war in Europe unprovoked, that this was an issue that we should all get get behind helping Ukraine.

And I had platform to do it because I had, you know, between you know, Twitter followers and and exposure in in Russia and uh and and and in Ukraine a little bit my you know, I wrote a book that was translated into Russian, so I'm somewhat of a known figure there and I have the ability to tweet in Russian at the Russian people and try to show the am what the reality of this is. So I I took it. I've taken it very seriously from the big,

very beginning. But you've actually you've been a notorious troll on social media for some Russians, you kind of spooked off the platform. Yeah. I don't know if I call it a troll. Well, you know, maybe the noun version is that the trolling, captain is what I want to say, you know, my first trolling ever, if that's what you want to call, maybe maybe referred to it as like social media warrior. I like that it's consistent, consistent with your resume. Who are you spooking off of Twitter? Next?

M Oh, I'm not targeting anyone in the specific The reason, I, you know, went after the head of risk Cosmos, the Russian space agencies because he threatened to leave an American crew member behind that he was responsible for, and I was just absolutely shocked. So you know, I went at him in his own language, in ways that he could you know, ways that he can understand um, with language that would get his attention, and I think it may

have worked. It appears to have you talked to your brother about this when it comes to war funding obviously the senator from Arizona, you both have a platform, Captain Kelly, Yeah, you know, I have not talked to him specifically about like you know, government policy or legislation, legislation. I mean, I think he's certainly aware of of my stance, and I understand that he's a you know, a big supporter

of freedom and democracy and supports Ukraine. So yeah, but I haven't gotten into any specifics like you know, hey, you should vote for this or that. Hey probably listen to me anyway. Yeah, I'm not so sure about that. I think you have a few things in common, uh, including your biology. But look, in terms of President Zelenski, he's been asking Washington to help close the skies. That that was the refrain when he had rest uh the Joint Session of Congress. There was a time when he

was begging for fighter jets. You're a former fighter pilot. Would they actually make a difference? Well, that's a good that's a good question, you know because right now, and it's my understanding that Russia does not control the skies of Ukraine. So you know, on one hand, I think it would it would be helpful and make a difference. I'm not sure how much of a difference it would make.

Having said that, I think, you know, anti missile systems would be really helpful because they're getting you know, having you know, cruise missiles and other you know, things that you know that could be countered with, uh, you know, some existing systems out there. So whether you know airplanes are really required and how you know, giving Ukraine a bunch of F sixteens or something. But would that be helpful? Sure,

I think it would be helpful. Would it make a huge difference, I'm not probably, Um, I probably don't know the details there with the air war enough to really really comment on that. Well, everybody likes to talk like an expert, and you actually are one, though it sounds like it's more complicated than a lot of people are

making it out to be. Yeah, I think just given giving a country a bunch of airplanes when the you know, when the airspace is not dominated by Russia right now, is I think something that really has to be studied and what it does to escalate the situation or not. Well, I want to congratulate you and thank you for the work that you're doing in the service that you've provided not only our count for you, but now that the

people of Ukraine. It's admirable and the Captain, we thank you for being here on Bloomberg appreciate by all means. Flew over eight thousand hours in more than forty aircraft two hundred and fifty carrier landings in his naval career. I know people refer to him as an astronaut. He spent more time in space than Luke Skywalker. This guy's a tom Cat pilet. Anybody who puts an airplane down on the deck of an aircraft carrier in the rain

at night has my respect. By the way, no one who flew enough fourteen should ever be called to troll