Russian President Vladimir Putin has not heeded President-elect Donald Trump’s November 7 warning to not escalate the war in Ukraine, said US Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX).
“He has not taken the president-elect’s advice,” McCaul said. “In fact, what we’re seeing is almost a counteroffensive now.”
McCaul, who is the outgoing chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, spoke at an Atlantic Council Front Page event on Thursday, hosted by the Council’s Eurasia Center. There, he talked about the threats Russian aggression in Ukraine pose for US interests—and how the United States should respond.
He said that the Biden administration’s recent decision to allow Ukraine to use longer-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike targets in Russia is “better late than never.” He pointed out that these systems will support the fight in the Kursk region of Russia, where Ukrainian troops are facing both Russian and North Korean soldiers.
But the ATACMS will also serve another purpose, McCaul argued: They give Ukraine leverage in negotiations. “If and when the moment happens where a ceasefire is declared and a negotiation takes place,” he said, “Ukraine has to be in the strongest possible position with the most leverage to get the best negotiation at the table. Right now, they’re not there.”
Below are more highlights from the conversation—moderated by Atlantic Council Eurasia Center Senior Director John Herbst—in which the congressman also discussed how the United States will need to face up against a new “unholy alliance” emerging among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
Voice of Ukraine 