McCaul: No Immediate NATO Acceptance for Ukraine

Ukraine's acceptance into NATO should be "incremental" and come after a peace settlement is negotiated with Russia because otherwise, the United States could find itself at war with Russia, Rep. Michael McCaul said Sunday.

"First, they have to win the counteroffensive, secondly, have a cease-fire, and then negotiate a peace settlement," the Texas Republican said on CNN's "State of the Union." "We cannot admit Ukraine into NATO immediately. That would put us at war with Russia under Article 5 of the United Nations."

President Joe Biden is heading to the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania Monday night, where the allies are expected to show support for Ukraine while giving its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a sense of what must be done to join NATO.

However, Biden also warned, in a CNN interview before the trip, that bringing Ukraine into NATO at this time could mean the alliance would go to war with Russia.

"I think what the conversation is going to be about is what security agreements can be put in place with Ukraine" concerning NATO, said McCaul, but he thinks it's "way too premature to be talking about that."

The discussions do provide deterrence against Russia, but care must be taken in how they come about, said McCaul.

And even once the war ends, Ukraine's pathway into NATO must follow several steps, the congressman said.

"They would have to come up to certain standards within NATO qualifications to be admitted," he said. "But they have demonstrated a will to fight, a will for freedom and democracy against tyranny and oppression, and I think they have earned it. But we have to put it on the right path forward, not an immediate ascension into NATO."

Meanwhile, McCaul also discussed the news that cluster munitions would become part of a U.S. package of military equipment to Ukraine and said the decision was merited.

"These weapons would be a game-changer," said McCaul. "They are highly effective, and particularly hitting flanks of troops inside of Ukraine. They would be a game-changer in the counteroffensive, and I'm pleased the administration has finally agreed to do this."

McCaul also discussed Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's recent trip to China, saying that he was concerned the administration made numerous concessions on sanctions and export controls to make the gathering come about.

"I think she was willing to say we're not in a conflict or a competition," he said. "This is just — we're just trading partners. I think that's a little bit devoid of reality. I think it's good to have diplomacy. I think it's good to have discussions moving forward."

However, China has levied export controls on rare earth materials before, and now that Yellen has traveled there, "they're going to cut exports of rare earth minerals to the United States in what would be considered a trade action or a trade embargo."

Also on Sunday, McCaul commented on Biden's response to a State Department report on the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Biden, when asked if he would admit mistakes, said that the "evidence is coming back. Do you remember what I said about Afghanistan? I said al Qaeda would not be there. I said it wouldn't be there. I said we'd get help from the Taliban. What's happening now? What's going on? Read your press. I was right."

"It's devoid of reality," said McCaul. "It's a little bit eerie that a president of the United States would be so disillusioned about what's happening on the ground in Afghanistan, the idea that al Qaeda is gone. His own secretary of defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff, [Gen. Mark] Milley, have said al Qaeda is on the rise in Afghanistan."