Rep. Tom Reed, left, was part of a bi-partisan delegation last week to Germany, Denmark, Poland, and Greenland. He is pictured the embassy in Berlin. Along with Reed, pictured are Majority House Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, Rep. Donald Norcross of New Jersey, Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana, and Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas. Submitted photo

U.S. Rep. Tom Reed got to see the impacts of the war in Ukraine up close.

The congressman who represents New York’s 23rd District was part of a bi-partisan delegation to visit Germany, Denmark, Poland, and Greenland last week.

Democratic Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, and Republicans Rep. Fred Upton and Sen. Roy Blunt led the trip. While in Germany, they met with the chancellor and other hig-ranking officials; in Denmark, the group met their leading officials. But it was the stop in Poland, which took them to the Ukrainian border that Reed described in detail during a phone conference Monday.

“We stood right at the Ukraine border — physically stood right there on the line. We saw human beings, refugees, who were struggling, who were the picture of war that people have in their mind, we saw first hand. We saw them walking 50, 60 miles to that point of entry in Poland and we embraced them,” he said.

Reed described how the refugees were carrying their belongings and their pets across the line to freedom in Poland. “It was bone-chilling, it was tingling in my spine. … To see them, to see the humanity of war that is represented by those refugees walking across the border and into those facilities that we also toured, that received them and processed them to further safety within Poland, it just reminds you of how precious democracy is and freedom is,” he said.

Reed expressed his concern that this war can easily go beyond Ukraine and affect Europe and the world economy, especially when it comes to food. “Ukraine is the breadbasket for Europe and as we go into this planting season I am very concerned that if Ukraine is not allowed access to the development of their actual crops, and then distributing those crops through the Black Sea, which is now cut off under Russian control, you have a tremendous threat to the security of the Ukrainian people as well as the European union as well as the inflationary impacts on the world food prices,” he said.

Reed is also worried about energy impacts. He noted that oil and natural gas, particularly diesel, is still flowing from Russia through Ukraine and the European Union. “As Russia controls that valve, I’m very concerned that if this war lingers into the winter, we could have a genocide-level type of event,” he said.

Reed wants NATO and Europe to know they can rely on the United States and other Democratic allies. “They should not turn to China and Russia as the geopolitical implications of fossil fuels and food ripened here as a proxy board develops in Ukraine,” he said.

Reed noted that China and Russia cannot be trusted. “The message to the world is simple: you can not rely on the unreliable. America has always led the way, and you can rely on us to always stand with our friends,” he said.

With the potential of food shortages, The Post-Journal/OBSERVER asked Reed if there are any ways that Western New York farmers can help. He noted that wheat and sunflowers are crops that are grown both in Ukraine and in the local area.

Reed noted that specifically, they are working with The Birkett Mills in Penn Yan to grow more buckwheat. “We are working with them to see how best we can add to the food stock so the disruption to the Ukrainian people rely upon for buckwheat is potentially replaced from our Western New York sources,” he said.

Reed noted that crops relate to the security and stability of being able to service the markets in Europe. “As we deal with inflation as a major issue here in America, remember, these commodities — oil, gas, food — are world commodities and they all have impacts to the pricing that we ultimately pay for at the grocery store and the pump. That is why this is so critical that this conflict be settled sooner than later. It’s something why I am very much I’m a voice in Washington, D.C. to say ‘Let’s unite, let’s work together and quit the political bickering’ and make sure that we protect our fellow American citizens,” he said.

Even though Reed would like to see this conflict between Russia and Ukraine resolved quickly, he admits he has his doubts. “I’m sad to report that I do see this going on much longer than we are hoping that it will resolve in the short term. This is a long term battle that is clearly going to be around for the foreseeable future,” he said.