US, UK Officials Tamp Down Possibility of Direct Engagement Over Ukraine

No troops or "no-fly zone" in the cards

Neither the United States nor Britain have intentions to intervene more directly on behalf of Ukraine in its five-day-old war with Vladimir Putin's Russia.

Per a previous vow by President Biden, American troops will not enter Ukraine, even as the Ukrainian people fight back against the ongoing Russian invasion of their sovereign nation which began last Thursday.

That's according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

MSNBC @MSNBC

"We are not going to have a military war with Russia with U.S. troops," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki says.

on.msnbc.comWhite House Press Secretary talks Ukraine and State of the UnionWhite House Press Secretary Jen Psaki joins NBC’s Kristen Welker and Peter Alexander to discuss the White House’s response to Russia and President Biden’s upcoming State of the Union Address.

“We are not going to have a military war with Russia with U.S. troops,” Psaki said.

Psaki also put a kibosh on ideas that US warplanes might try to establish a “no-fly zone” in the skies over embattled Ukraine.

“That is definitely escalatory...That is not something the president wants to do,” she said.

Glenn Greenwald @ggreenwald

Psaki on a US no-fly zone: "That is definitely escalatory...That is not something the president wants to do." "U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has also ruled out the idea, saying that 'NATO would have to effectively declare war on Russia.'" Let's hope it stays this way.

Ken Klippenstein @kenklippenstein

Zelensky is calling on Biden to impose a 'no-fly zone'. "If the US were to do this, our fighter jets would potentially have to shoot down Russian jets," said Rep. @SaraJacobsCA. "This would mean the United States declaring war on Russia." https://t.co/tkbNPCLIRM

U.K. defense secretary Ben Wallace has also ruled out the idea, saying that “NATO would have to effectively declare war on Russia,” referring to the Atlantic military alliance.

An F-15C aircraft is the type of warplane the US military used to enforce an earlier “no-fly zone” in the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Some have specifically been calling for a “no-fly zone,” including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Jonathan Swan @jonathanvswan

Scoop: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging President Biden and NATO to impose a "no-fly zone" over "significant parts" of the country, telling Axios in a statement that Ukraine "can beat the aggressor" if the Western allies "do their part."

axios.comZelensky urges Biden, NATO to impose “no-fly zone” over Ukraine“If the West does this, Ukraine will defeat the aggressor with much less blood.”

In a press statement, Zelensky said that Ukraine “can beat the aggressor” if the Western allies “do their part.”

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