The Lead with Jake Tapper: Rep. Mike Lawler, (R-NY), Is Interviewed About Ukraine, NATO

Interview

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Thanks for having me.

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Look, it's certainly something that will be under consideration. We had a hearing just a few weeks ago with administration officials. Specifically, I and some of my colleagues asked about Ukraine's acceptance into NATO and whether or not the administration would be pushing for that at the NATO summit. Obviously, we have our answer from the President, he does not think they are ready for it.

I do think that the sooner Ukraine joins NATO, the better. Obviously, there is a process, it does take time, but I do think the administration should be more forward leaning in pushing for Ukraine's acceptance into NATO.

I think at the end of the day here, the President is right insofar as Russia and Vladimir Putin certainly thought that they could break NATO, that we would not be unified with our allies in response to their illegal war and invasion of Ukraine. We have been unified, we need to continue to be unified, and we need to ensure that Ukraine is able to defend its sovereignty. And I have been very strong in support of this from the beginning because Vladimir Putin is a vile thug and dictator and has no interest in stopping at Ukraine and that much is clear.

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Look, I think obviously, as the President alluded to, you know, the Ukrainian military is running low on ammunition. You've, in the last few weeks, seen a breakdown between Vladimir Putin and the Wagner group. And so I think the counter offensive is critical, and we're at a critical stage in this war and for Ukraine's ability to defend itself. And so I think getting them as much ammunition and weaponry as possible is critically important.

I think there's two key points to note. Number one, obviously we are not party to any agreement on the use of cluster munitions. But in addition to that, these would be used by Ukraine in defense of its sovereignty in its own borders, as opposed to, you know, bombing outside of its borders. And I think that is a distinction that is important to note. They are trying to defend their sovereignty, and they are at war with Russia and the Russian military and its forces.

So, I think in this instance, given what the use is intended for, given the limited, you know, chance of it impacting civilian casualties, I do think it is the right decision and I think -- and I support what the administration is trying to do here.

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