Upcoming international talks aimed at resolving the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine will test Western resolve against Russian aggression, Rep. Rich McCormick said on Newsmax, Sunday.
Further, Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not a guy that you want to trust,” the Georgia Republican told Newsmax’s “Sunday Report,” adding that he has been watching Putin since the Russian leader’s time as a KGB agent.
McCormick, however, agreed with Putin’s contention that the war might not have happened if President Donald Trump had been in office rather than former Presidents Barack Obama or Joe Biden.
“If Trump was president, this never would have happened. I don’t think they would have even gone into Crimea like they did when Obama was president,” McCormick said.
The congressman argued that deterrence depends on demonstrating strength. “Weakness always results in war,” he said. “When you have strength, it really does equal peace.”
He pointed to prior agreements guaranteeing Ukraine’s security. “This whole quick reaction force they’re talking about is something we actually negotiated in the Budapest Accords that Russia signed when Ukraine agreed to give up its nuclear arms. So there’s nothing new there,” he said.
Looking ahead to the talks, McCormick said the central issue is territory. “I’ll be very curious to see what, if any, territory might be ceded to Russia. That will be the sticking point, of course, because Russia wants as much as they can get,” he said.
He added that Ukraine’s economic significance makes the outcome consequential for Europe: “Seventy percent of Europe’s grain is produced there. They have tons of cobalt, lithium, and uranium. This is going to be high stakes.”
The congressman described NATO allies as resolute. “They understand that’s just a step closer that Russia would be to Europe. The whole reason we formed NATO to begin with was because of Russian aggression,” he said. McCormick noted that Europe’s $20 trillion GDP dwarfs that of Russia’s $2 trillion, but said Putin’s military spending and threats toward neighbors keep allies wary.
On the trajectory of the war, McCormick said Russia’s goals have been clear.
“They wanted Ukraine to fold,” he said. “They wanted Zelenskyy to leave like Biden actually said. If that had happened, that country would have folded in the first few weeks. But he didn’t. He stood firm.”
He suggested Putin may be asking for more territory than he expects to secure to leave room for compromise. “Zelenskyy says he shouldn’t have any of it. These are known borders. Why should Russia get this land? But something’s going to be in between,” he said.
McCormick added that the war has already carried a heavy cost.
“Tens of thousands of people died,” he said. “You’ve had a million casualties in Russia. Now you’ve had 40,000 Korean troops committed. This has cost the world a lot of money and lives. And I would love to see an end to this quickly.”
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