The White House said Wednesday that it continues to stand in opposition to a no-fly zone over Ukraine as the country fights back against Russia, suggesting the move would have repercussions that would send the United States into World War 3.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's requested during an address to Congress Wednesday that the U.S. agree to a no-fly zone over his country. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the administration is "not interested in getting into World War III."
Psaki said Biden watched Zelenskyy's address to Congress from his private library and found his remarks to be "passionate" and "powerful."
"We are in very close touch with the Ukrainians. Nothing that he asked for or said today was a surprise in that sense. If we were President Zelenskyy, we would be asking for everything possible as well," Psaki said. "He is watching his country and his people be attacked and brutalized by President Putin and the Russian military."
"But, how President Biden makes decisions is through the prism of our own national security and as we have said before, a no-fly zone would require implementation, it would require us potentially shooting down Russian planes, NATO shooting down Russian planes, and we are not interested in getting into World War 3."
