Gayle King Presses VP Harris on Biden Not Sending Troops: ‘Will We Stand By And Watch Innocent People Continue To Be Killed?’
CBS anchor Gayle King raised a harrowing prospect when she asked Vice President Kamala Harris “What will it take” to budge President Joe Biden from his pledge not to send troops to Ukraine.
The subject of Ukraine dominated President Biden’s State of the Union speech, and included a reiteration of his promise not to send Americans to fight in that conflict.
“Let me be clear, our forces are not engaged and will not engage in conflict with Russian forces in Ukraine,” the president said Tuesday night. “Our forces are not going to Europe to fight in Ukraine, but to defend our NATO Allies – in the event that Putin decides to keep moving west.”
The vice president was on a post-SOTU media tour on Wednesday that included CBS Mornings. Ukraine was top of mind for co-anchor King, who asked the VP what could shake the president from that promise, and did so in starkly emotional terms.
Harris acknowledged the stakes, but held fast to Biden’s pledge:
GAYLE KING: I hear you on that, but those images are heartbreaking to watch. We see innocent civilians being killed, we see children being killed, and the administration has made it clear there will be no boots on the ground. What will it take? Will anything change that? Will we stand by and watch innocent people continue to be killed here?
VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS: Well, Gail, you’re absolutely right. It’s heart-wrenching. It’s heartbreaking. The image of a missile that fell struck just right next to a children’s playground. The Ukrainians who are, as civilians, taking up defense of their nation out of pride and also an understanding of what is at stake in terms of their vitality and their independence. So it is heart-wrenching, to be sure.
But I will tell you, the president is clear. We are clear. We are not going to put U.S. troops in Ukraine to fight the Russians, not on the ground and not in the air. But we are going to continue working with our allies to one, defend every inch of territory as it relates to NATO territory. But also, we will continue to do with the billions of dollars of humanitarian, security, and military assistance that we have been providing Ukraine. There is so much at stake, and each day we reevaluate and do more to make sure that we are supporting the Ukrainian people.
And President Zelenskyy, who I met with just about a week ago in Munich. He has shown extraordinary courage. And in this moment, I think he has been an inspiration to all of us.
Watch above via CBS News.
