Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison warned Sunday that the stakes of the war in Ukraine stretch far beyond Europe’s borders. In her view, Chinese President Xi Jinping is watching closely how the United States and its allies respond to Russia — and what they signal about their willingness to confront aggression.
In an interview on The Hill Sunday, Hutchison said that if the West falters in its support of Ukraine, the ripple effects could embolden Beijing. “Xi is watching to see if the West will crater, if the West will just give up, will walk away from Ukraine — which we have said we would not do,” she said.
Hutchison, who served as President Trump’s ambassador to NATO during his first term, drew a direct line between Western resolve in Ukraine and China’s long-standing ambitions toward Taiwan. “If we look weak or vacillating or give up the ability to have Western boundaries remain secure,” she explained, “then I think that means to Xi that maybe this is the time for him to do what he has wanted to do for a long time, which is start taking over Taiwan.” She pointed to Hong Kong as a cautionary example of what Xi has already been willing to assert.
Her comments come at a pivotal moment. President Trump is set to meet Monday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with a group of European leaders, a follow-up to Friday’s summit between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The White House has said the meetings will focus on potential frameworks for ending the conflict while maintaining Ukraine’s sovereignty and European security.
For Hutchison, the inclusion of European leaders is a crucial step. “Security that is with the European allies is going to be part of this negotiation,” she said. “So having them at the table, I think, is very good, and also, they deserve to have input. This is their borders, and of course, NATO is part of all of this negotiation, but I think that it is going to be really important to have the Europeans understand what is at stake.”
Still, Hutchison emphasized that Ukraine must remain central to any final outcome. “Most assuredly, Ukraine has to have the final say,” she added.
Her warning shows that this war has a much larger global footprint than we think. Often framed in regional terms, the war in Ukraine has lasting ramifications across the United States and the EU. How Ukraine’s allies move going foward will very much show what credibility the west has left.
