This past Monday, Jen Psaki, the White House Press Secretary, stated that the United States would in no uncertain terms be helping with any attempts to try and create a “no-fly zone” out of Ukrainian airspace.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has recently put forth a statement in which he called on Old Uncle Joe, urging him to help take steps to create and enforce a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine, stating, “If the West does this, Ukraine will defeat the aggressor with much less blood.”
Zelensky went on to highlight that the various sanctions that have already been put in place by the United States and various other allies were steps in the right direction, but confirmed that more assistance would be required.
“In addition to disconnecting the Russian Central Bank from SWIFT and providing more Stingers and anti-tank weapons, we need the West to impose a no-fly zone over significant parts of Ukraine,” exclaimed Zelensky. “Ukraine can beat the aggressor. We are proving this to the world. But our allies must also do their part.”
Zelensky is calling on Biden to impose a 'no-fly zone'.
"If the US were to do this, our fighter jets would potentially have to shoot down Russian jets," said Rep. @SaraJacobsCA. "This would mean the United States declaring war on Russia."https://t.co/tkbNPCLIRM
— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) February 28, 2022
Early Monday morning, Psaki spoke with Peter Alexander and Kristin Welker, a pair of NBC White House correspondents, where she put forth the argument that American help in any such plans would be the same thing as direct American military involvement, which has previously been slated as entirely off the table by Old Uncle Joe, and because of this, would not be a plan that could be carried out as it would be an undeniable escalation of hostilities between the two superpowers.
“What that would require is implementation by the U.S. military. It would essentially mean the U.S. military would be shooting down planes, Russian planes. That is definitely escalatory. That would potentially put us in a place in a military conflict with Russia,” explained Psaki, going on to add, “That is not something the president wants to do.”
Psaki continued to highlight the point that the administration of Old Uncle Joe had already placed commitments to keep American troops out of any direct military conflict with Russia, stating, “He is not sending U.S. Forces — men and women who fight for our military — into Ukraine to fight a war with Russia. We are not going to have a military war with Russia with U.S. troops, and he thinks it’s vitally important, and first and foremost important, to be direct with the public about that.”
John Kirby, the spokesperson for the Pentagon, stated his agreement with Psaki as part of a press briefing, stating that the United States had absolutely no plants to help with any implementation of a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine.
.@CarlaBabbVOA: "Now that we've seen civilian targets that have been hit, is the U.S. considering installing a no fly zone in Ukrainian air space?"
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby: "No." pic.twitter.com/f4aWApejiA
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) February 28, 2022
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