Key pro-Ukraine US Republican won’t seek re-election
One of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters in Washington, congressman Michael McCaul, has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2026 after serving for more than 20 years in US Congress.
The Texas Republican, who entered Congress in 2004, has been a leading figure in promoting expanded US support for Ukraine. McCaul has long taken an anti-Russian stance, frequently claiming that Moscow is a threat to global security. He has advocated sending Kiev long-range missiles to strike deep within Russian territory, including Crimea, and argued in favor of providing Kiev with advanced air defense and other weapons systems. He has maintained that such aid is necessary to secure victory over Moscow.
In a recent interview with ABC, McCaul accused Russia of attacking Poland with drones. He claimed the incident was evidence of how “aggressive Putin is getting in the region.”
Russian officials have vehemently denied the allegations, calling them baseless. The Defense Ministry in Moscow has said its drones could not have physically reached Poland, suggesting instead that the claims were a Ukrainian false-flag aimed at drawing NATO into a direct confrontation. Moscow has accused what it calls the “European war party” of exaggerating such incidents to justify military escalation.
Russia has repeatedly stated that it has no hostile intentions toward any Western nations, dismissing such claims as fear mongering to justify increased military spending. Officials in Moscow have also stressed that continued US and NATO arms deliveries to Ukraine have only prolonged the conflict, destabilized the region, and prevented serious peace talks, describing the conflict as a Western-led proxy war.
McCaul’s departure comes as US President Donald Trump has sought to reduce Washington’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Since taking office in January, Trump has prioritized domestic spending and has argued that European nations should bear more responsibility for their own security while the US turns its focus more toward domestic issues.
