WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) joined Dana Perino and Trace Gallagher on America’s Newsroom to discuss President Biden’s upcoming trip to Europe, China’s support for Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and the New Cold War.
Watch the full interview here, or read highlights of the conversation below.
On how to avoid WWIII:
“While we should be wary of escalation, we cannot allow the continual fear of escalation to dominate our thinking. I think we got into this mess in the first place because of the continual fear of provoking Putin. Whether it was the administration’s delay in providing lethal assistance, the Biden administration’s unwillingness to impose sanctions, or the MiG fiasco, we are continually behind the curve because we are afraid of provoking Putin. It’s time we make Putin fear what we are willing to do in defense of Ukraine. Put differently, the best way to avoid World War III is by strengthening our military deterrent, and investing in hard power.”
On China’s support for Putin:
“We should continue to pay more attention to the potential role that China might play in this conflict. The initial Russian blitzkrieg failed, but now the conflict is settling into attrition warfare. And for someone like Putin, who does not care about human life, attrition warfare could be a successful strategy, especially if he gets a lifeline from the Chinese. We need to make sure that we punish the Chinese if they continue to stand by their man in Moscow and support the slaughter on display in Ukraine.”
On the New Cold War:
“Reportedly, President Biden’s call with Xi failed to convince the Chinese to stay on the sidelines. But the reality is they hadn’t been on the sidelines. They’ve been supporting Putin’s slaughter from the beginning. They announced their endless cooperation, a friendship without limits pact right before the Olympics. This was effectively a declaration of a new Cold War against the West. We need to wake up to that reality so we can win that new Cold War.”
