Senator Josh Hawley urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to drop US support for Ukraine joining NATO in a letter obtained by Axios on Wednesday. It’s an academic argument as Ukraine is nowhere near qualifying for membership in the bloc, yet Hawley seems suspiciously insistent on the possibility being foreclosed, just like Putin does. Hawley’s letter does not go into the same level of Putin ball-washing that Tucker Carlson does regularly these days, instead selling a “But China” angle, as if keeping the door open to Ukraine compromises the US in the Pacific. Some lowlights:

“I write to request clarity about the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine’s prospective membership in NATO. Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty provides for the Alliance’s expansion. It stipulates that such expansion can occur only by unanimous agreement and that only a ‘European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area’ may receive invitation to the Alliance. The United States has supported multiple rounds of NATO enlargement since the end of the Cold War… The United States has an interest in maintaining Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. And we should urgently deliver to Ukraine assistance it needs to defend itself against Russia’s military buildup and other threats. Our interest is not so strong, however, as to justify committing the United States to go to war with Russia over Ukraine’s fate. interest is not so strong, however, as to justify committing the United States to go to war with Russia over Ukraine’s fate.”