US State Department: we are not in armed military conflict with Russia, which is what it would require for U.S. planes to be in the skies over Ukraine engaging with Russian attacks
Kyiv • UNN
The United States understands Ukraine's desire for air defense support, but it is not going to engage in direct armed conflict with Russia, while remaining fully committed to Ukraine's defense by providing air defense systems and other military assistance.
The United States understands the logic behind President Zelenskyy's statements about the partners' joint defense of Israeli territory from Iranian attacks, but relations with Ukraine and Israel are quite different. At the same time, "we are not in armed military conflict with Russia," which is what it would require for U.S. planes to be in the skies over Ukraine engaging with Russian attacks, and the United States are not going to be in direct armed conflict with Russia, but nevertheless are entirely committed to the defense of Ukraine. This was stated by US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller during a briefing on April 16, UNN reports.
Details
"Number one, I saw the comments from the President – very much understand where he’s coming from. I would expect the president of any country who is under such withering attacks to look for any way possible to defend his people. Fully understand that," Miller said in response to a question about President Zelensky's comments, in which he made it clear that we can now see how unity can work in a real way, one hundred percent, and how almost one hundred percent of the "shaheds" and missiles can be intercepted.
"Number two, I think it is important to note the context that we have an entirely different relationship with Ukraine and Israel in that our relationship with Israel goes back decades and – in terms of a security partnership," the State Department spokesman said.
He noted that Israel is a major non-NATO ally of the United States. "Ukraine is just in a different position in that we did not have that kind of agreement with them prior to the immediate months before this conflict. But what you have seen us do since this conflict is provide them with the equipment they need to defend themselves, and that includes, of course, air-defense systems, Patriot systems, and other air-defense systems that we have either provided the Ukrainian military ourselves or we have sourced from other partner and ally countries around the world so they can defend themselves. And much of the reason that they have been able to successfully defend themselves against barrage after barrage after barrage of Russian attacks is because of those air-defense systems that we have provided," Miller said.
You’re right that we are not in armed military conflict with Russia, which is what it would require for U.S. planes to be in the skies over Ukraine engaging with Russian attacks. And we are not going to be in direct armed conflict with Russia. The President of the United States has been – has made that very clear. I think it’s in the interests of the American people that we not be in direct armed conflict between the United States and Russia because we do not want World War III
"That said, we are entirely committed to the defense of Ukraine. We have proved that over the past two years; the President has proved that by providing American support. And if you want to ask the question about what more we can do, the question is one to put to the United States Congress – because we have a supplemental spending bill that would allow us to provide more equipment, including more air-defense systems, to Ukraine that they very much need, and we hope that bill will pass," the State Department spokesman concluded.
