SUMMARY
On this urgent episode of Peace and Power Ukraine, host Gary Marx welcomes humanitarian and children’s rights advocate Mykola Kuleba, former Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Ukraine and founder of Save Ukraine. Kuleba shares firsthand accounts of his organization’s heroic efforts rescuing abducted Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories and returning them to safety.
With over 600 children rescued to date, Kuleba outlines the psychological and geopolitical implications of this war on Ukraine’s next generation. This is a deeply human conversation about dignity, justice, and the urgent need for global awareness and support.
00:12 – Introduction and Global Context
Gary: Hello friends, welcome to Peace and Power Ukraine, a place to discuss all aspects of policy related to this amazing country that stands at the crossroads of modern history, where East meets West and freedom collides with totalitarianism. Thank you for joining us during these unprecedented times. There are so many things happening in the world. We have the Zapad military exercises that just wrapped up in Belarus, where the Russians were working with other countries to send a message to NATO and the West. We have President Trump meeting with British leaders in another big red carpet state meeting. We have the continued bombing of Ukraine, civilian targets every single day and every single night. There is so much to get into with headlines, but that is not what today’s time is about.
I want to introduce you to our friend Chad Connelly. He is the founder and CEO of Faith Wins, and I know he is going to bring more light than heat in this particular episode. Chad was the Republican National Committee’s first-ever National Director of Faith Engagement, a key position that influenced the elections in 2016. This guy has traveled to over 43 states, a whole lot of countries as well, spoke to more than 82,000 pastors and faith leaders about the importance of pastoral leadership in the public arena. He has really become a trusted leader across every ministry denomination. As Faith Wins has grown, Chad has built upon his connections in his career, allowing him to continue the trend of more Christian engagement in the political and legislative process. That has been important because it also opened some doors for him to speak up for the importance of religious liberty around the world. Indeed, he had a chance to be my travel partner on our most recent trip to Kyiv. So welcome, Chad, my travel partner and brother.
02:18 – First Impressions of Ukraine
Chad: Hey Gary, how are you doing my brother? Look, you have been not just a great friend, but a trusted mentor and somebody I have looked to for insight because of your experience. I was honored to go on the trip with you. It was awesome. It was eye-opening and just special. I feel like I made some real lifelong connections there.
Gary: It is important to note this is just about a month since we got back from that trip. We were privileged to be able to go with an American-based pro-Ukraine organization that hosted a number of leaders from the public policy arena. We came into Ukraine through Poland. I wanted to, through your eyes, give our listeners the experience of a first-time person traveling to Ukraine. Most folks are not going to be traveling into a war zone in their lifetime and maybe really don’t have a sense of that. For you, having a background in the United States Army in the Tank Corps, going into some dangerous places might not have been as difficult for you. But share with our audience your mindset as somebody being asked, “Hey, do you want to go to Ukraine?” and what does that look like?
Chad: Well, like I told you before, if Gary Marx is going somewhere and I am invited, just sign me up. It wasn’t nearly as unsettling as I thought. You can’t land in Ukraine, like you said; you have to go to Poland and drive a long ways in. The border crossing, of course, we had some diplomatic help and some relationships, so we didn’t have to wait very long getting in. But going into the country, goodness Gary, you could have been rolling into the rolling hills of South Carolina, North Carolina, or Tennessee. It was beautiful, no question. I know where it gets the nickname “the breadbasket of the world.” And the people were fabulous.
04:26 – Patriotism and the Cost of War
Chad: I was struck mostly by the patriotism. Their idea of “Ukraine First” sounds familiar, and it is really what every nation ought to be. I was reading a Teddy Roosevelt book where he was criticizing Woodrow Wilson in 1917, saying that President Wilson had an “America Last” policy and his policy had been “America First.” So it is not a new thing. But I was impressed that day we got into Lviv and met with the mayor. We watched at 9:00 AM local time as the city took a break. They played the national anthem, they honored the war dead, and everybody stopped. It was solemn.
Then going to the memorial cemetery where we saw the young mom with her maybe four or five-year-old daughter honoring her husband’s death in combat. I remembered her especially because her husband’s death happened to coincide with my sister’s birthday, and that struck with me the date. But watching her tender loving care around the memorial was special. So the patriotism struck me, Gary. The beauty of the land struck me, but the people’s hearts and patriotic fervor, their stance for freedom, was impressive.
Gary: That is absolutely right. When we entered the country, our initial first overnight was in Lviv, in the western part of the country. It is the safer part, the furthest away, but nonetheless, it does suffer attacks. It is a city with a lot of hospitals, a lot of places where they are helping the troops recover. We met with the mayor, and he explained so much of what is happening in his city. We met with religious leaders, which I know meant a lot to you. I remember there was one old pastor there from Soviet-era times who shared with us some insights. What did you glean from that first morning when we woke up and began to experience these important meetings?
Chad: It brought it to life. It really was, like you said, the pastor meetings—and I guess if you count the Chief Rabbi, we did three Faith Wins meetings in Ukraine. It was multi-denominational, multi-ethnic. His relating what they are dealing with: the PTSD, the suicide, the broken families that are missing dads and husbands, the people coming off the front lines that are not physical casualties but are mental and emotional casualties. Just how deep the attacks have become, not just geographically but in the heart of the Ukrainian people. Those pastors were pleading with us, saying, “We need America. We are standing for freedom.”
06:46 – The Reality of War vs. Media Portrayal
Chad: I think what I thought about a lot, and I have told this story to pastors, is that they are dealing with a whole different animal than pastors deal with in America because they are in a war zone. But the brokenness, the heart hurts, the physical, mental, and emotional damage that the war has taken—those things struck me and came to life. I told you going in, I didn’t really know what to make of the media information, disinformation, misinformation. Getting to see it for myself and hearing from pastors who I know have a heart for the Lord, the Kingdom, and their nation was extra special.
Gary: When we left Lviv, we went to a military cemetery with thousands of crosses and flags. Every one of the cemetery plots was decorated lovingly by family, and we even had a chance to speak to some family that were there. Then as a bridge experience, we drove directly to Kyiv. We walked in Maidan Square, and there is also a cemetery memorial remembrance spot with soldiers there. So those were the two bookends of that drive on that day. Give us that perspective, your first time being at the center of Kyiv, that important cultural home for them.
Chad: Just humbling. Having served in the military and not having to be shot at, and seeing all these people that gave their lives for this little thing called freedom, it was humbling. Like most people, their experience with the Ukrainian-Russian war is watching YouTube or maybe a little bit of media coverage. We all know that square. I don’t know how many memorials were in that square alone downtown, but it was staggering to me. And as you know, when you, I, and BJ walked around the city that night, not a lot of young men walking around. We saw a lot with missing arms and legs and wounds, but not a lot of young men walking around. They are on the front lines, they are in combat.
10:40 – Cultural Experience and Gratitude
Gary: To lighten it up a little bit, that night we got to experience a more traditional Ukrainian “peasant’s meal” at a cultural restaurant. They had great music there as well. Tell our audience about your experience with Ukrainian food.
Chad: The food was a lot of it! Every time we turned around they were feeding us. It was fantastic. It was definitely different, the ethnic favorites. They love their food and they love their entertainment. That guy with the bird whistle was unbelievable. I sent that video that you and I were taking in the restaurant to my wife Dana and the kids, and they were like, “How did that guy do that?” They wanted to roll out the red carpet for us. They were so thankful that we were there. I saw it in their eyes, I saw it in the way they served us, the food they cooked and made, the waiters, the waitresses. They were incredibly gracious and thankful that we had come from America to hear their stories.
You remember our buddy from Save Ukraine even got me an Uber ride. I didn’t know any Ukrainian, he didn’t know any English I didn’t think, but he whispered to him about what I was there for. When I got out of the car that night, he said, “Thank you for coming to Ukraine to learn about our fight for freedom.” I was blown away. It was a little bit like the restaurant that night. I thought they went overboard trying to say thank you to us.
Gary: They do love Americans and are appreciative of the support across the board. When they ask for support, it is not for food. They have plenty of food. That is not the issue at all. They want things in the shape of missiles.
12:43 – Air Defense and Civilian Protection
Gary: In particular, I think they are looking for an Iron Dome like Israel has. You were in Israel not long ago this year. Give us your perspective on the sense that they probably need about 17 Iron Domes over the major cities there. Having been to Israel and now Ukraine, explain that perspective.
Chad: Well, the air raid sirens are different for us. I don’t care if you are in Israel or Ukraine. Hearing that siren go off—I think the one in Ukraine was 1:07 AM. I remember General Budanov said, “Look, we will fight our fight, but we need help protecting our civilians.” What kind of person targets civilians? We went to that apartment complex, and I would call it a middle-class, nine-story apartment complex. We met families that lost loved ones who were in the room next door. One was in the kitchen, one was in the living room. One mom lost her husband, children, and I think her mother. That man who came up and talked to us and was bawling his eyes out about friends that he had lost in the very same apartment complex he lives in.
So nobody thinks about hardening civilian targets. They aren’t targets. These people are just living their lives, going to work, coming home, playing with their kids, going out to supper. To have that targeted by Russia is awful. It is unspeakably awful. When we drove out to that spot where the apartment complex had been bombed, I didn’t see anything that anybody would call militarily significant. There was a school next door, a little grocery store shopping center. But they hit the apartment complex and I think 31 people were killed that night, and nine were children. Zelenskyy visited that the day after we did. I think that is what they are looking for: some kind of Iron Dome around the cities that would be an air defense artillery type of protection for the civilians. How do you do enough of that? I really don’t know.
15:47 – A Meeting with Parliament’s Majority Leader
Gary: You bring up communist thinking. That is still in the DNA of Putin and his regime. Unpack the story for us that you experienced. We met with the Majority Leader of the Ukrainian Parliament, known as the Rada. You had an interesting experience there with him and you got the book right there.
Chad: I pulled it back out. We were with the Majority Leader for the Parliament of Ukraine. Super nice guy. We were sitting around drinking a Coke Zero and having this conversation. When he first walked in, he really made it easy. I guess we were taking pictures by now and looking around his bookshelves, and I saw a book. This guy was a co-author on something I had read, maybe back to Cleon Skousen and The Naked Communist. But the book’s title is What Everyone in the Free World Should Know About Russia. I was commenting and told the Majority Leader, “Hey, I think I know that guy. He contributed to another book and I read everything about this whole Marxist-Leninist communist intrusion into the world that I can get my hands on.” I was just thumbing through it and he says, “Oh, I’ve already read it, you can have it.” I am like, “Really?” So he signed it for me. He was super generous.
I found a solidarity with the idea that we are always fighting evil. Honestly, it is the godless, communistic, Marxist ideology that I think we are fighting on college campuses in America. I think it is attractive to people because these minions are being told they can make it all perfect if “we” are in charge. It is elitist, it is anti-God, it takes God off the throne. I tell my Sunday School class in Newberry, South Carolina all the time, reading Francis Schaeffer’s book from 1971, he said the biggest threat to Christendom in America and the world is statism. That is when you take God off the throne and put self, and then self figures out they don’t have the answers and they put the state on the throne.
In the natural order of things, if you keep looking for somebody else to solve your problems instead of the personal responsibility and accountability that we as Christians believe in, and a constitutional republic where we have representatives vote for us, you go to that elitist mindset of the godless Marxist idea. I reveled in meeting somebody in Ukraine who not only had the thinking that I thought he had, but he read a book about it to reinforce it for the people around him. I think that is powerful.
Gary: It just goes to show you how this is a country led by leaders who are Western-oriented, who have our tradition, who aren’t of the Russian mindset and that old communist ideology. That is what they are running away from. Their experience in their parents’ generation and the generation before that is death and destruction. So many millions of Ukrainians were killed and starved to death. This is the history that they are desperately pushing away from, and Putin is trying to hold them in bondage to that same history, back under the thumb of that regime.
18:31 – Oil Sanctions and Trump’s Strategy
Gary: We have one news item since we are in this legislative space. President Trump has just said to the EU, “Hey, if you want us to do more sanctions… you guys first have to get off this addiction to Russian oil. If you guys will agree to do that and quit funding the very war you are trying to stop, then we will be serious on our end and meet you in the middle.” What say you about that perspective?
Chad: Totally. I am doing a BBC hit here in about 45 minutes and that is one of the questions. Far be it from anybody to underestimate President Trump. This guy has thought through these things. He is an ultimate negotiator and he is right. America has borne the burden of a lot of this for an awful long time. Until we are going to get these other people off of Russian oil and stop funding what we hate, then why would he do a whole lot more?
I was also reading that something like 75% of the people in America are for advancing the sanctions on Russia. So I think the tide is turning on some of that stuff. I have got to believe with all my heart it is President Trump’s policies and his pressure on these other nations to get off of Russian oil so that we can be effective on Russia and end this war once and for all. Common sense. He is an expert at leverage.
Gary: Of course we would love for them to purchase American oil, but others from the West just get off Russian oil and this is a way to really undermine and get a lot closer, a lot faster to closing out this war and getting to some sort of ceasefire.
20:30 – Final Thoughts: The Walk in Kyiv
Gary: In the remaining time we have left, tell us about your last night in Kyiv. You are walking the city and the spirit that you experienced. I know I will never forget that last night. I think we walked a 10K at least, but we saw the entire city and all that it had to offer. How did you explain that to your family and others?
Chad: I think we walked a 20K! It was awesome. It was a beautiful city. It was a nice warm night, gentle breeze. The sights, the sounds, it was beautiful. People were in the streets, they were enjoying their freedom. Like I said, not as many young men around as young ladies, but people were out and about. Of course there was a curfew. But you, I, and BJ walking around… I didn’t know how far we were going to walk, we just started walking. We walked across that bridge and then back over into the main city square where the memorials are. Then we walked up past the huge church and all the Russian armament that has been destroyed or captured. Then we came back down that side street and stopped in a little chocolate shop and got to talk to people. We got to experience Ukrainian life. We got to watch the spirit of patriotism and the spirit of “we love our nation, we stand for freedom.” It really gave me a feeling of kindred spirit with the Ukrainian people because it was a special night. You see what they are fighting for and you see it is worth it.
Gary: Every night it is carpe diem, they are embracing life until they need to go in and suffer through maybe another terrifying night of attacks. But it doesn’t change their attitude and their resolve and their will. Thank you Chad Connelly of Faith Wins for sharing some of those recollections. As a first-time American to Ukraine, it was so valuable to glean that insight for our audience that might never have a chance. I want to recommend that all of us, when we get to that day where there is peace and there is the rebuilding of Ukraine, absolutely go. You will love this country. It is just such an amazing people. With that, I will say goodbye until the next time here on Peace and Power Ukraine.
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