U.S. Foreign Policy Amid the War in Ukraine: A Conversation with the Honorable Michael McCaul

Apr. 14, 2022 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to the largest ground war in Europe since World War II and has created a major humanitarian crisis in the region. The conflict represents a global policy challenge, particularly for the United States and its European partners. To date, the United States and its allies have provided substantial military assistance to Ukraine and imposed unprecedented economic sanctions on Russia, including on Russian President Vladimir Putin himself. Moving forward, how should we address Russian aggression in Ukraine? And how should the current crisis shape future U.S. foreign policy in Europe and elsewhere? Rep. Michael McCaul, a ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, discusses the current conflict in Ukraine and the foreign policy response to counter the threat to the United States and its allies. WELCOME REMARKS The Honorable James A. Baker, III Honorary Chair, Baker Institute for Public Policy; Senior Partner, Baker Botts FEATURED SPEAKER Rep. Michael T. McCaul is currently serving his ninth term representing Texas' 10th Congressional District. At the start of the 116th Congress, McCaul became the Republican leader of the Foreign Affairs Committee. This committee considers legislation that impacts the diplomatic community, which includes the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Peace Corps, the United Nations, and the enforcement of the Arms Export Control Act. Prior to his time in Congress, McCaul served as chief of counter terrorism and national security in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, and led the Joint Terrorism Task Force charged with detecting, deterring and preventing terrorist activity. McCaul also served as Texas deputy attorney general under current U.S. Senator John Cornyn, and as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C. A fourth-generation Texan, McCaul earned a bachelor’s degree in business and history from Trinity University and holds a J.D. from St. Mary's University School of Law. In 2009, McCaul was honored with St. Mary's Distinguished Graduate Award. He is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows Program of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. MODERATOR Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian Director, Baker Institute for Public Policy