One-time U.S. presidential advisor on Russia and Europe to the White House National Security Council Timothy Morrison testified in his opening statement to the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday afternoon that “the United States aids Ukraine and her people so they can fight Russia over there and we don’t have to fight Russia over here.”

In his less than two page opening statement, Morrison says, “I feared at the time” how President Donald Trump’s July 25th phone call and “its disclosure would play in Washington’s political climate. My fears have been realized.”

“Every day that the focus of discussion involving Ukraine is centered on these proceedings … is a day when we are not focused on the interests Ukraine, the United States, and Western-style Liberalism share,” he went on to state.

While the testimony of Jennifer Williams, aide to Vice President Mike Pence, and National Security Council staffer Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman Tuesday morning mostly eschewed policy discussions, that was not the case with the afternoon statements of special envoy to the Ukraine Kurt Volker and NSC aide Morrison. Morrison briefly served on the NSC from August 2019 when he took over from Fiona Hill, until he resigned on October 31, 2019.

A Bolton protege known for being a “nuclear superhawk”fiercely opposed to arms control treaties, Morrison previously served from July 2018 on as senior director for countering weapons of mass destruction on the US National Security Council. Before that, he was policy director for Republican staff on the House defense panel.