Zelensky Prods Biden to Impose ‘No-Fly Zone’; Psaki: ‘Not a Good Idea’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the D.C. outlet Axios in a statement on Monday that his country “needs the West to impose a no-fly zone,” a significant escalation potentially tantamount to an act of war.

“The sanctions are heading in the right direction. In addition to disconnecting the Russian Central Bank from SWIFT and providing more Stingers and anti-tank weapons, we need the West to impose a no-fly zone over significant parts of Ukraine,” Zelensky said in a statement to Axios. 

“Ukraine can beat the aggressor. We are proving this to the world. But our allies must also do their part,” he added.

On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told MSNBC that it is “not something the president wants to do,” and “that’s not a good idea.”

“Well, here’s what’s important for everybody to know about a no-fly zone: What that would require is implementation by the U.S. military,” Psaki said. “It would essentially mean the U.S. military would be shooting down planes, Russian planes.”

“That is definitely escalatory,” she continued. “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.”