Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, speaks during a House Committee on Foreign Affairs hearing looking into the firing of State Department Inspector General Steven Linick, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP)
Stefani Reynolds, POOL / Associated Press
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UPDATED 8:32 AM PT – Tuesday, January 18, 2022
House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Michael McCaul is sounding the alarm on a possible conflict with Russia. The Republican Texas representative asserted that the U.S. and Russia have re-entered a Cold War.
During an interview on Sunday, the top GOP claimed Russian leader Vladimir Putin is champing at the bit to invade Ukraine. He echoed the National Security establishment’s narrative that Russia is launching a false flag operation to stir up resentment towards Ukraine and is trying to establish a new Soviet Union.
“Now, Ukraine is a breadbasket in Russia,” explained McCaul. “Putin wants to restore the glory of the old Soviet empire; he’s been wanting to do this for quite some time. You know, he invaded Crimea with the land bridge. He liked the Port of Odessa to control the Black Sea.”
U.S. and Russian diplomats met in Vienna recently and reportedly failed to come to an agreement that would simmer tensions. This came after reports claimed Russia deployed 100,000 troops to its border with Ukraine, in turn, prompting international cries of a possible invasion.
McCaul said with the possibility of escalation, the Biden administration is making empty threats to its counterparts in Moscow and are not setting up an effective deterrence strategy.
“You know, you have to put things on the table like sanctions,” explained the U.S. representative. “You have to talk about more arms sales, weapons sales to Ukraine. And this Nord Stream 2, the idea of the President (Joe Biden) waiving congressionally mandatory sanctions on Putin’s pipeline. I don’t know how that’s in the national interests of the United States.”
Additionally, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reiterated claims of an unnamed credible source, saying Russia intends to invade Ukraine under false pretenses. Sullivan stressed he’s working with his partners in the region and the Biden administration is ready to engage with Russia in whatever capacity the Kremlin wants.
“We’re ready either way: if Russia wants to move forward with diplomacy, we are absolutely ready to do that in lockstep with our allies and partner,” Sullivan stated. “If Russia wants to go down the path of invasion and escalation, we’re ready for that too with a robust response that will cut at their strategic position.”
Additionally, McCaul said the Biden administration is projecting an image of a weaker America while citing the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. He warned America’s adversaries, including China, Iran and Russia, will capitalize on Biden’s mistakes and encroach on “American hegemony.”
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