Topline
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) suggested American support of Ukraine’s NATO eligibility is not in the United States’ best interest in a letter obtained by Axios, becoming the apparent first Senator to support Russia’s demand that Russia be denied entry to NATO amid bipartisan support of Ukraine in Congress.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., questions Attorney General Merrick Garland during a Senate Judiciary … [+]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Key Facts
In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken dated Tuesday, Hawley called on the White House to reconsider whether the U.S. should still support Ukraine’s right to enter NATO, suggesting that the U.S. break the military alliance’s “open-door policy” that guarantees all European countries have the right to join NATO.
Diplomatic discussions between the U.S. and Russia about Russian military buildup at the Ukraine border have hinged on this dispute: the U.S. has rejected Russia’s demand to block Ukraine from entering NATO, which Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday may push Russia into “armed conflict” in Ukraine.
Hawley said in the letter that the U.S. should still support “Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” not going as far as Carlson, who has repeatedly suggested Russia is justified in its military aggression.
In the letter, Hawley called for the U.S. to focus less on Europe and more on China, which Hawley claims is threatening to cut the U.S. off from “important markets.”
Hawley did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
Key Background
About 130,000 Russian troops are stationed near the Ukraine border, causing increased fear that Putin will order an invasion of the country. There has been near universal support in Congress for Ukraine, and a bipartisan sanctions package against Russia could soon pass through the Senate. Several Republican Senators have criticized Carlson for questioning the federal government’s response to Russia, including Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who told Politico Tuesday: “On individuals up here who are decision-makers, I don’t hear any disagreement about the position Russia is in. Russia is the aggressor…Ukraine has every right, as a sovereign nation, to have their borders respected. Russia’s not doing that.”
Surprising Fact
Several notable far-right media figures have voiced support for Russia despite the mainstream consensus, most notably Carlson and Michael Flynn, a national security advisor in the Trump Administration who resigned and pleaded guilty to charges related to lying to the FBI over his ties to the Russian government. Carlson has long parroted Putin’s claims about the West provoking Russia into any military actions, saying in December that Russia’s demand to block Ukraine’s NATO eligibility “makes sense.” Flynn said last week NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe presents an “existential threat” to Russia and a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be justified.
Further Reading
Exclusive: Hawley calls on Biden to drop support for Ukraine membership in NATO (Axios)
Michael Flynn—Once Indicted Over Russia Communication—Voices Support For Russia Ahead Of Potential Ukraine Invasion (Forbes)
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