Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has been criticized online after he accompanied the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a tour of a military facility in Scranton on Sunday.
Shapiro shared a clip on X, formerly Twitter, after the visit which showed him signing artillery shells, which social media users have described as “disturbing.”
Zelensky is currently on a visit to the U.S. where he will meet with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to a statement from the White House, “The leaders will discuss the state of the war between Russia and Ukraine, including Ukraine’s strategic planning and U.S. support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (center) tours the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania, with Governor Josh Shapiro (center right) on Sunday, September 22, 2024. Shapiro has been criticized following the visit after he signed artillery shells.
Staff Sgt. Deonte Rowell/U.S. Army/AP Photo
In the post made by Shapiro on X, he wrote, “We must all do our part in the fight for freedom—from the workers in Scranton who make Pennsylvania the arsenal of democracy to the brave Ukrainian soldiers protecting their country. We stand with Ukraine in their just defense of their homeland in the face of Russian aggression.”
The clip has since drawn widespread criticism online.
Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene posted on X above a video of Shapiro signing the armaments: “I am 100% against this and so are most Americans.
“The U.S. is funding the Ukraine Gov at $1 billion/month to keep it running and funding most of the war by providing weapons, ammo, and equipment.
“The U.S. should be negotiating peace not fueling war.”
A post from the account Wyatt Reed, managing editor of left-leaning online news site The Grayzone News, read: “When did all our politicians start treating weapons of war like sports memorabilia? Why do they find killing people so amusing?”
The clip has also drawn criticism from pro-Palestinian accounts. Max Blumenthal, editor of the same site, posted that “There’s Gov Josh Shapiro with Zelensky signing artillery shells at a weapons plant In Scranton PA. For those unfamiliar, Shapiro is the guy who said Palestinians are too ‘battle-minded’ to make peace.”
Blumenthal’s post refers to a 1993 college newspaper article written by Shapiro in whichhe claimed that Palestinian’s are “too battle-minded” to coexist with Israel, according to The Jerusalem Post. The article resurfaced in August.
Newsweek has reached out to Shapiro via email for comment.
The governor is not the first politician to be criticized for signing weaponry. Back in May, former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley sparked outage with a four-word message on Israeli artillery shells.
Haley visited Israel where she met with survivors of the October 7, 2023, Hamas‘ attack. She then traveled to the country’s northern border with a member of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, Danny Danon, who posted pictures on X which showed Haley signing her name with the message, “Finish Them! America [Heart drawing] Israel” on artillery shells.
On Sunday’s ammunition factory visit, Zelensky thanked employees for helping to supply Ukraine with ammunition amid the war with Russia.
Zelensky detailed the visit in a post on X, writing “Scranton, Pennsylvania. I visited a plant that manufactures 155 mm artillery shells. Now, for our warriors who are defending not only our country, not only Ukraine, the plant will be ramping up production.
“I began my visit to the United States by expressing my gratitude to all the employees at the plant and by reaching agreements to expand cooperation between Pennsylvania and our Zaporizhzhia [region].”
In another post on X, Zelensky wrote that: “I am grateful to the people of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and all the states where Americans are building this incredible arsenal of global freedom. Together, we are strengthening the defense of liberty and democracy.”
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