(OPINION) All of a sudden, there is a lot of talk in the mainstream media about establishing a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine, and that should deeply alarm all of us. Because establishing a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine would require us to shoot at Russians, and they would inevitably start shooting back.
In other words, we would be at war with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thinks that this is a wonderful idea because he knows that western intervention is the only thing that is going to save his country at this point. But Vladimir Putin has already warned that he is willing to use nuclear weapons against anyone that intervenes in the conflict.
Should we take that threat seriously? A bear that feels like it has been backed into a corner is a very dangerous thing, and that is especially true when that bear possesses highly advanced nuclear weapons. But the warmongers in Congress see no reason why this should deter us from taking action.
On Friday, U.S. Representative Adam Kinzinger publicly called for the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine on Twitter… Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) called for the U.S. to declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine to give the country’s military a “fair fight” against invading Russian forces.
“The fate of #Ukraine is being decided tonight, but also the fate of the west. Declare a #NoFlyZone over Ukraine at the invitation of their sovereign govt,” Kinzinger tweeted on Friday. The only way that statement can be considered rational is if Kinzinger truly believes that Vladimir Putin would never actually use nuclear weapons against the United States.
Unfortunately, Kinzinger is not alone. On Monday, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker also spoke in favor of a no-fly zone over Ukraine… But it’s not just nobody Republicans like Kinzinger saying this stuff. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., also endorsed the idea of creating a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
“Clearly, in the absence of a U.N. resolution, which Russia would veto, a strong coalition of like-minded nations should step in and seriously consider this,” Wicker told HuffPost on Monday. Wicker isn’t some back-bencher. He’ll likely become the next top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee after Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., resigns later this year.
Unlike Kinzinger, Wicker actually has a bright political future, and so that makes his statement even more alarming. Not to be outdone, U.S. Senator Rob Portman is actually suggesting that Ukraine should immediately be made a member of NATO… On Sunday, Sen. Rob Portman, an Ohio Republican and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on Meet The Press that we should right away bring Ukraine and other countries, like Georgia, into NATO.
Bringing Ukraine into NATO, a mutual defense treaty, would of course trigger Article V, which obligates all NATO members to come to the defense of a member that’s under attack. In this case, that would mean — you guessed it — the U.S. going to war with Russia.
Does Portman really want us to fight such a war? First of all, after not being able to defeat the Taliban despite being in Afghanistan for 20 years, is the U.S. military actually prepared for such a fight? I think that the answer to that question is obvious. Secondly, does Portman actually believe that both sides would restrain themselves from using nuclear weapons for the duration of such a conflict?
I honestly do not understand how people like this actually get elected to Congress. The good news is that the Biden administration has ruled out a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine for now. But the Washington Post is suggesting that the door for such a move has been left open based on this exchange between White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and a reporter…
PETER ALEXANDER: On military, is there any way in which the U.S. would support a no-fly zone over Ukraine? PSAKI: Well, here’s what is important for everybody to know about a no-fly zone: 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 into a place where we’re in a military conflict with Russia.
That is not something the president wants to do. KRISTEN WELKER: So, that’s a no on that. PSAKI: Those are all the reasons why that’s not a good idea. I really wish that Psaki would have clearly stated that a no-fly zone will never happen. READ MORE
