State Dept. Official Admits ‘Mistakes’ in Ukraine; U.S. Funding ‘Unaccounted For’

JOURNALIST I mean there ░░░░░░░░ always thoughts about like ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine money where that ░░░░░░░░ going FITZGERALD Yep JOURNALIST ░░░░░░░░ mean do you see ░░░░░░░░ that kind of FITZGERALD ░░░░░░░░ I can tell you ░░░░░░░░ it s going JOURNALIST ░░░░░░░░ FITZGERALD It s it ░░░░░░░░ funding the entire Ukrainian ░░░░░░░░ and like half of ░░░░░░░░ electrical grid that Russia ░░░░░░░░ blowing up It s ░░░░░░░░ it s wild It ░░░░░░░░ stupid amount of money ░░░░░░░░ re talking about stupid ░░░░░░░░ stupid amounts of money ░░░░░░░░ Like how much FITZGERALD ░░░░░░░░ billions billions Like 25 ░░░░░░░░ JOURNALIST Just to keep ░░░░░░░░ lights on FITZGERALD Yeah ░░░░░░░░ That s not said ░░░░░░░░ C SPAN FITZGERALD No ░░░░░░░░ re talking about stupid ░░░░░░░░ of money and what ░░░░░░░░ we getting with it ░░░░░░░░ Nothing FITZGERALD I couldn ░░░░░░░░ really tell you because ░░░░░░░░ s moving so fast ░░░░░░░░ s the problem too ░░░░░░░░ if you re moving ░░░░░░░░ fast like there s ░░░░░░░░ to be like mistakes ░░░░░░░░ whatnot Like JOURNALIST Are ░░░░░░░░ mistakes in Ukraine FITZGERALD ░░░░░░░░ hundred percent So there ░░░░░░░░ 50 people over there ░░░░░░░░ you just USA JOURNALIST ░░░░░░░░ FITZGERALD The embassy is ░░░░░░░░ but like just for ░░░░░░░░ there s 50 people ░░░░░░░░ they re about to ░░░░░░░░ like an extra 20 ░░░░░░░░ There s so much ░░░░░░░░ that we re brought ░░░░░░░░ Ukraine they need more ░░░░░░░░ there to like manage ░░░░░░░░ JOURNALIST Secretary Blinken how ░░░░░░░░ are you to him ░░░░░░░░ Five degrees separation This ░░░░░░░░ such a niche industry ░░░░░░░░ flies under the radar ░░░░░░░░ Yeah FITZGERALD that the ░░░░░░░░ American does not know ░░░░░░░░ don t think enough ░░░░░░░░ know about the work ░░░░░░░░ do I think there ░░░░░░░░ moments where oh I ░░░░░░░░ am critical of it ░░░░░░░░ where it s like ░░░░░░░░ Haiti stuff and like ░░░░░░░░ of the Ukraine stuff ░░░░░░░░ re talking about stupid ░░░░░░░░ of money and what ░░░░░░░░ we getting with it ░░░░░░░░ Nothing FITZGERALD I couldn ░░░░░░░░ really tell you because ░░░░░░░░ s moving so fast ░░░░░░░░ s the problem too ░░░░░░░░ they want to move ░░░░░░░░ fast to see the ░░░░░░░░ That s not normally ░░░░░░░░ foreign assistance should work ░░░░░░░░ like JOURNALIST Why do ░░░░░░░░ think they want to ░░░░░░░░ so fast though Is ░░░░░░░░ an underlying issue with ░░░░░░░░ of the leaders FITZGERALD ░░░░░░░░ think it s conflict ░░░░░░░░ and like things change ░░░░░░░░ quickly in conflicts that ░░░░░░░░ they won t see ░░░░░░░░ change happen with this ░░░░░░░░ if we re dropping ░░░░░░░░ much money But like ░░░░░░░░ you re moving that ░░░░░░░░ like there s going ░░░░░░░░ be like mistakes and ░░░░░░░░ Like JOURNALIST Are there ░░░░░░░░ in Ukraine FITZGERALD One ░░░░░░░░ percent JOURNALIST Really Like ░░░░░░░░ kind of mistakes FITZGERALD ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ you re dealing with ░░░░░░░░ much money you can ░░░░░░░░ like responsibly you could ░░░░░░░░ the best you can ░░░░░░░░ monitor how it s ░░░░░░░░ JOURNALIST Right FITZGERALD Like ░░░░░░░░ you re at like ░░░░░░░░ scale with like only ░░░░░░░░ so much staff there ░░░░░░░░ at some point you ░░░░░░░░ have to take a ░░░░░░░░ of risk with it ░░░░░░░░ So there s money ░░░░░░░░ that we don t ░░░░░░░░ about FITZGERALD Not disappearing ░░░░░░░░ JOURNALIST Like unaccounted for ░░░░░░░░ Probably unaccounted for yes ░░░░░░░░ got selected to go ░░░░░░░░ go be a foreign ░░░░░░░░ officer in Ukraine for ░░░░░░░░ year There were 20 ░░░░░░░░ open and it s ░░░░░░░░ rare for people like ░░░░░░░░ So like I m ░░░░░░░░ domestically here so I ░░░░░░░░ a civil servant There ░░░░░░░░ like very few opportunities ░░░░░░░░ you can apply to ░░░░░░░░ what s the word ░░░░░░░░ m looking for Like ░░░░░░░░ from civil service to ░░░░░░░░ services Very rare so ░░░░░░░░ is was a special ░░░░░░░░ where they re like ░░░░░░░░ needs a lot of ░░░░░░░░ Like here s 20 ░░░░░░░░ that like are open ░░░░░░░░ civil servants to apply ░░░░░░░░ Obviously very cool job ░░░░░░░░ like on the ground ░░░░░░░░ on the most important ░░░░░░░░ that are going on ░░░░░░░░ now JOURNALIST Wow FITZGERALD ░░░░░░░░ like a lot to ░░░░░░░░ about JOURNALIST Hopefully a ░░░░░░░░ more money FITZGERALD Oh ░░░░░░░░ amounts of money stupid ░░░░░░░░ of money for me ░░░░░░░░ be there JOURNALIST Seriously ░░░░░░░░ Yeah JOURNALIST And they ░░░░░░░░ sending 20 people over ░░░░░░░░ 20 new people FITZGERALD ░░░░░░░░ new people So there ░░░░░░░░ 50 people over there ░░░░░░░░ you just USA JOURNALIST ░░░░░░░░ FITZGERALD The embassy is ░░░░░░░░ but like just for ░░░░░░░░ there s 50 people ░░░░░░░░ they re about to ░░░░░░░░ like an extra 20 ░░░░░░░░ JOURNALIST Why Because there ░░░░░░░░ so many who are ░░░░░░░░ to come over FITZGERALD ░░░░░░░░ s so much money ░░░░░░░░ What do you mean ░░░░░░░░ Like there s so ░░░░░░░░ money that we re ░░░░░░░░ to Ukraine they need ░░░░░░░░ people there to like ░░░░░░░░ it So these are ░░░░░░░░ JOURNALIST So you re ░░░░░░░░ even dealing with like ░░░░░░░░ and stuff You re ░░░░░░░░ FITZGERALD No this is ░░░░░░░░ money JOURNALIST So they ░░░░░░░░ to have people manage ░░░░░░░░ FITZGERALD Yeah so much ░░░░░░░░ s like billions of ░░░░░░░░ JOURNALIST So is that ░░░░░░░░ that goes to Ukraine ░░░░░░░░ that going to help ░░░░░░░░ for the foreign service ░░░░░░░░ as well FITZGERALD Oh ░░░░░░░░ hundred percent Yeah Like ░░░░░░░░ get paid a stupid ░░░░░░░░ of money And your ░░░░░░░░ s paid for your ░░░░░░░░ s paid for JOURNALIST ░░░░░░░░ it s going back ░░░░░░░░ the American economy FITZGERALD ░░░░░░░░ probably the European economy ░░░░░░░░ ll just go vacation ░░░░░░░░ Europe JOURNALIST But then ░░░░░░░░ are making more for ░░░░░░░░ FITZGERALD So a lot ░░░░░░░░ people that go to ░░░░░░░░ places like Ukraine Iraq ░░░░░░░░ make stupid amount of ░░░░░░░░ and then they come ░░░░░░░░ and buy all these ░░░░░░░░ and you go and ░░░░░░░░ whatever you want.”