Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to implore western powers to authorize a no-fly zone over Russia, with the most recent address coming over Twitter on Sunday, as the matter was being discussed on the Sunday morning shows. In a passionate and emotional plea, Zelensky shares that eight missiles had struck the Ukrainian city of Vinnytsia, which "completely destroyed the airport." The Ukrainian president reminded that this is a call he has been issuing every day, and even charged that if there is no support through a no-fly zone or the proper aircraft, "there can be only one conclusion: you also want us to be slowly killed." He's made similar remarks before as he continues to ask for the no-fly zone.
Breaking! pic.twitter.com/VCL5mpOVMi
— ????????? ?????????? (@ZelenskyyUa) March 6, 2022
While many guests on the Sunday programs discussing the matter were sympathetic towards Zelensky, and acknowledged they'd be asking for the same thing, the consensus was largely that there can be no-fly zone, as it would provoke World War III. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, perhaps put it most practically while on ABC New's "This Week," as Landon highlighted earlier on Sunday.
So basically a no-fly zone, if people understand what it means, it means World War II," Rubio continued. "It means starting World War III. It's not some rule you pass that everybody has to oblige by. It's the willingness to shoot down the aircrafts of the Russian Federation, which is basically the beginning of World War III."
Further, Vladimir Putin has also made it clear he would see the establishment of a no-fly zone as "participation" in war, as Landon also covered.
On Sunday, BNO News tweeted that this is a position the Russians have doubled down on.
BREAKING: Russia's Defense Ministry says countries which use their airfields to supply Ukraine with fighter jets may be regarded as participants in the conflict
— BNO News (@BNONews) March 6, 2022
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who appeared on several Sunday shows this week, also addressed the no-fly zone. During his segment on NBC's "Meet the Press," Blinken responded to questions from host Chuck Todd about "Why rule out the no-fly zone? Why not make Putin think it's possible?"
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In addition to explaining it would involve a larger conflict with Europe, which, again, could lead to World War III, the secretary reminded that the aim of President Joe Biden is to not send Americans in to fight.
"The president's been very clear about one thing all along as well, which is we're not going to put the United States in direct conflict with Russia, not have, you know, American planes flying against Russian planes or our soldiers on the ground in Ukraine because for everything we're doing for Ukraine, the president also has a responsibility to not get us into a direct conflict, a direct war with Russia, a nuclear power, and risk a war that expands even beyond Ukraine to Europe," Blinken said. "That's clearly not our interest. What we're trying to do is end this war in Ukraine, not start a larger one."
Todd: Why rule out the no-fly zone? Why not make Putin think it's possible?
— The Recount (@therecount) March 6, 2022
Blinken, after a long explanation: "...For everything we're doing for Ukraine, the president also has a responsibility to not get us into a direct conflict, a direct war with Russia, a nuclear power..." pic.twitter.com/1RQxR2lezp
Blinken, as did other Sunday show guests, addressed another request from Zelensky, which is to send in aircraft for Ukraine to defend itself in such a way.
Speaking with CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union," Sec. Blinken was reminded by Tapper that "you said you're inactive discussions about providing U.S. planes to Poland, so that they can give planes that the Ukrainians are familiar with to Ukraine," who went on to ask "are you going to do that? And can you explain why the U.S. cannot give Ukraine the planes directly?"
Blinken offered "we are working with Poland as we speak to see if we can backfill anything that they provide to the Ukrainians. We, remember, support them, providing, MiGs, Sus, planes that Ukrainians can fly, to the Ukrainians," but also explained they want to be sure that "whatever they provide to Ukrainians, something goes to them to make up for any gap in the security for Poland that might result."
On CBS' "Face the Nation," Blinken was even more clear as he told host Margaret Brennan that, if Poland wants to send fighter jets, "that gets a green light." Blinken also shared that "in fact, we're talking with our Polish friends right now about what we might be able to do to back fill their needs if in fact they choose to provide these fighter jets to to the Ukrainians."
.@SecBlinken: The U.S. has given the “green light” to NATO countries if they choose to provide fighter jets to Ukraine, one day after President Zelensky made a plea to members of Congress to provide them during a Saturday Zoom call. https://t.co/liDkdNCAFI pic.twitter.com/3vHqk6YzQe
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 6, 2022
Such a move was also echoed by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee. While on "Fox News Sunday," she told guest host Shannon Bream she agreed with not implementing a no-fly zone, a position Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) also took, earlier on the program.
While she is against the no-fly zone, Sen. Ernst told Bream "what we can do is provide all the defensive mechanisms for President Zelenskyy and his armed services to provide their own protected airspace. And that starts, of course, with providing air platforms to President Zelenskyy, making sure that those pilots are able to protect their own airspace."
The issue of MiGs was also discussed during Zelensky's virtual Saturday morning meeting with 280 U.S. lawmakers.
Not all senators, however, seemed opposed to a no-fly zone. Todd also had Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on for "Meet the Press." During the segment, Manchin expressed opposition to "tak[ing] anything off the table."
Todd had asked Manchin "do you support doing this, which could trigger a wider conflict?"
"I understand that. But right now, you don't signal to your -- to the nemesis of Putin -- this is Putin's war. This is not the Russian people's war. This is Putin's war and his quest for whatever it may be. But to take anything off the table thinking we might not be able to use things because we've already taken them off the table is wrong. I would take nothing off the table," Manchin explained.
Here's Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) on the No-Fly Zone, contra to Blinken: "I would take nothing off the table. But I would be very clear that we're gonna support the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian president, and this gov't every way humanly possible."https://t.co/SJP1u0rQWq
— The Recount (@therecount) March 6, 2022
On Friday, "74% of Americans" was trending over Twitter in reference to a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing 74 percent of respondents, by bipartisan numbers, believe the United States and NATO allies should impose a no-fly zone in Ukraine. A write-up of the poll from Reuters, however, noted it "was not clear if respondents who supported a no-fly zone were fully aware of the risk of conflict, and majorities opposed the idea of sending American troops to Ukraine or conducting air strikes to support the Ukrainian army."
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