Jen Psaki Shuts Down Potential ‘No-Fly Zone’ in Ukraine: The U.S. Is ‘Not Going to Have a Military War with Russia’
White House press secretary Jen Psaki shut down the idea of using United States troops to create a no-fly zone in Ukraine.
Psaki spoke to MSNBC’s chief White House correspondents Kristen Welker and Peter Alexander on Monday, during which the reporters asked her about the Biden administration’s response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The press secretary discussed the economic sanctions President Joe Biden imposed on Russia last week, highlighting that Biden has not hit 100 percent of Russia’s banks in order to avoid taking down the global financial system.
“These are the most significant financial sanctions that have been used in modern history, and what Russia is now in comparison with is Iran,” Psaki said, explaining that sanctions on S.W.I.F.T. — an international financial transaction mechanism based in Belgium — are implemented institution by institution.
Psaki then confirmed that Biden does not support creating a no-fly zone in Ukraine by putting U.S. troops in the air above the country.
“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,” Psaki said of a no-fly zone. “That is not something the president wants to do.”
She later praised Ukraine and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for being courageous as they stand up to the Russian military, yet emphasized that the U.S. military does not want to send troops to the nation.
He is not sending U.S. Forces — men and women who fight for our military — into Ukraine to fight a war with Russia,” she added. “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.”
Watch above, via MSNBC.
