White House stands firm on opposition to no-fly zone over Ukraine despite Zelenskyy plea

The White Home mentioned Wednesday that it continues to face in opposition to a no-fly zone over Ukraine because the nation fights again towards Russia, suggesting the transfer would have repercussions that may ship america into World Warfare 3.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s requested throughout an handle to Congress Wednesday that the U.S. comply with a no-fly zone over his nation. White Home press secretary Jen Psaki mentioned the administration is “not fascinated with moving into World Warfare III.”

Psaki mentioned Biden watched Zelenskyy’s handle to Congress from his personal library and located his remarks to be “passionate” and “highly effective.”

WHITE HOUSE INSISTS NO-FLY ZONE OVER UKRAINE ‘COULD PROMPT A WAR WITH RUSSIA’

“We’re in very shut contact with the Ukrainians. Nothing that he requested for or mentioned right now was a shock in that sense. If we have been President Zelenskyy, we might be asking for all the pieces doable as properly,” Psaki mentioned. “He’s watching his nation and his folks be attacked and brutalized by President Putin and the Russian navy.”

“However, how President Biden makes selections is thru the prism of our personal nationwide safety and as we’ve got mentioned earlier than, a no-fly zone would require implementation, it will require us probably taking pictures down Russian planes, NATO taking pictures down Russian planes, and we aren’t fascinated with moving into World Warfare 3.”

Psaki was additionally questioned on Zelenskyy’s distinction of a “humanitarian no-fly zone” and a “blanket no-fly zone” and requested whether or not the administration views these as being the identical factor.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers a digital handle to Congress by video on the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, March 16, 2022.
(Drew Angerer, Pool by way of AP)

“There have been descriptions of each of these over the previous couple of weeks and generally a humanitarian – and I do not wish to put phrases in his mouth – however a humanitarian no-fly zone could be particular geography or components of western Ukraine whereas a no-fly zone generally folks confer with it because the totality of the nation,” Psaki mentioned. “In our view and within the view of the navy there’s not a distinction by way of the implementation and the escalatory affect.”

RUSSIA EXPERT SHREDS BIDEN ADMIN OVER UKRAINE NO-FLY ZONE: ‘DUMB AS A SIBERIAN SHOE’

On Tuesday, Psaki said Biden “continues to consider {that a} no-fly zone could be escalatory” and “may immediate a conflict with Russia.”

Two dozen present and former navy and intelligence officers have signed an open letter calling for the Biden administration to enact a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

“We, the undersigned, urge the Biden administration, along with NATO allies, to impose a restricted No-Fly Zone over Ukraine beginning with safety for humanitarian corridors that have been agreed upon in talks between Russian and Ukrainian officers on Thursday,” acknowledged the letter, which Farkas and others signed. “NATO leaders ought to convey to Russian officers that they don’t search direct confrontation with Russian forces, however they have to additionally clarify that they won’t countenance Russian assaults on civilian areas.”

Ukrainian officers have referred to as on the worldwide neighborhood to enact a no-fly zone over their nation within the hopes that it will stop Russian planes from offering materials help for his or her forces and discontinue the bombings of civilian areas.

White Home Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds a press briefing within the Brady Briefing Room of the White Home in Washington, DC. on March 16, 2022.
(Picture by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)

Requested by Fox Information White Home correspondent Jacqui Heinrich to debate why the administration considers “MiGs as provocative and Javelins and Stingers as not provocative,” Psaki mentioned “planes are offensive weapons.”

“Javelins and Stingers are defensive weapons,” Psaki mentioned. “MiGs, or planes, are offensive weapons, that are a special sort of navy system.”

Responding to a query from Fox Information on Wednesday, Biden mentioned he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “conflict legal.”

“The president’s remarks converse for themselves, he was talking from his coronary heart and from what he has seen on tv,” Psaki mentioned.

Fox Information’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this text.