Miami Announces ‘No Questions Asked’ Buyback To ‘Take Guns Off the Streets and Send Them to Ukraine’

How the future victims of gun violence in Ukraine and Eastern Europe may feel about the planned influx of weapons did not appear to factor into the city of Miami’s decision.

Miami is launching a “city-wide voluntary gun buyback program that will take guns off the streets and send them to Ukraine,” Miami Mayor Frances Suarez announced Monday. Describing the initiative as “really innovative” and noting that he’d “never heard anyone do this,” Suarez said in a press conference that the planned gun buyback was an “ingenious idea” for addressing “gun violence in America.”

“Both with mass shootings and urban gun violence, to take guns off our streets, and give them to people who really need them, I think is brilliant–so, instead of buying back our guns to discard them, we’re going to be sending them to the war in Ukraine.”

Billing the event as “a great way to show your support in the fight against gun violence,” authorities claimed on the city of Miami’s official “Guns 4 Ukraine” page that “turning in a gun during the gun buyback provides the safety and security of knowing that the weapon will be properly disposed of or reallocated for use in support of Ukraine.”

Promotional materials indicate those who turn in their weapons under the ‘no questions asked’ policy will receive gift cards representing a small fraction of the firearms’ actual value. According to official social media posts, residents bringing sidearms will receive $50 gift cards, those submitting shotguns or rifles will receive $100 gift cards, and owners of “high powered rifles” including AK-47s and AR-15s–which range in cost from the low $500s to mid $2000s–will be compensated with a gift card worth $150.

In an effort to support Ukraine 🇺🇦 and take guns off of our streets, @CityofMiami and @MiamiPD will be hosting a gun buyback on Saturday, June 18. Please ensure all firearms are unloaded and transported in a secure carrying case. No questions asked! pic.twitter.com/swDcZa1PDl

— City of Miami (@CityofMiami) June 14, 2022

Few details have been offered regarding the logistics that would be required to collect, evaluate, clean, categorize, and ship such weapons–let alone how Ukrainian nationalist forces might be expected to train on the use of such a random assortment of guns.

Suarez also announced the Miami Police Department is sending “surplus stock equipment” to increase what he called Ukrainian nationalists’ “defense capabilities.” The shipment will reportedly include “30 gas masks, 44 ballistic helmets, five ballistic vests, 34 riot gear protection suits, and 45 traffic reflective vests.”

Claiming that Miami “remains unwaveringly committed to Ukraine,” Suarez painted the resolutions as proof that the city supports “with real actions, not just words,” what he called “Ukraine’s fight for its sovereignty and its freedom,” and for what he insisted are “its democratic values.” Whether future victims of the guns now flooding Ukraine will view the weapons shipments similarly, however, remains to be seen.

As Interpol chief Jurgen Stock explained in early June, “Once the guns fall silent [in Ukraine], the illegal weapons will come. We know this from many other theatres of conflict. The criminals are even now, as we speak, focusing on them.”