Jen Psaki and NBC’s Kristen Welker Do Battle Over Sending MiGs to Ukraine
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki bristled when NBC News’ Kristen Welker — citing the small number of Republicans who attended Jan. 6 events and polls showing large numbers of voters who believe former President Donald Trump’s Big Lie — asked if President Joe Biden has “done enough to unify the country.”
Ms. Psaki held a briefing with reporters on Wednesday just hours after President Joe Biden delivered a speech in which he announced $800 million in aid to Ukraine that included a variety of weapons systems and unmanned aircraft.
During that event, Welker asked the president about sending fighter jets to Ukraine, and he declined to comment. Welker asked Psaki about that exchange, and demands by Republicans that the U.S. send the planes. Things got contentious when Welker interrupted Psaki’s 168th (by her count) rendering of the answer:
MS. WELKER: And I want to go back to the MiGs quickly and just be crystal clear about what you’re saying. Because when I asked the President about this earlier, he said he’s not going to comment. He didn’t say that it’s not an option. So —
MS. PSAKI: Well, we’ve spoken to it approximately 167 times. So, maybe he —
MS. WELKER: But —
MS. PSAKI: Yeah.
MS. WELKER: Well, here’s 168.
MS. PSAKI: Go ahead. Go ahead. (Laughter.)
MS. WELKER: There’s a growing — there’s a growing number of Republicans and Democrats who are supporting the U.S. striking a deal with Poland to send the MiGs. You have Elise Stefanik earlier today saying Ukraine “needs those MiGs.” You have Scalise saying, “Getting [those] MiGs in immediately is…critical.” There’s a growing chorus of voices saying that now is the time.
Has the President reconsidered his stance at all at this point?
MS. PSAKI: No, because our military makes assessments, which — they put out that assessment last week and I would just echo that one part of the assessment is based on what equipment is effective in fighting this war. Anti-armor and air-defense systems, they are effectively defending the country. That is what we have provided additional assistance on.
Second, they have several squa- — squadrons of mission-capable aircraft —
MS. WELKER: But they don’t think that’s enough, Jen. You heard President Zelenskyy —
MS. PSAKI: — that are not being —
MS. WELKER: — very clearly say —
MS. PSAKI: — Kristen, that are not — Kristen, that are not — Kristen, that are not being utilized. This is the assessment by our Defense Department.
Third, they’re also assessing that the transfer to Ukraine may be mistaken as escalatory.
So this is how our Defense Department is assessing. They’re assessing also that it would not significantly change the effectiveness of the Ukrainian Air Force. And these are the types of risk ass- — risk assessments.
We certainly understand. We share the passion, the anger, the horror at what we’re seeing. And that is why we are — we significantly increased the types of military assistance, the types of equipment that we know is effective and our Defense Department has determined is effective in fighting this war.
Watch above via Fox News and The White House.
