Will US Go To War With Russia? Ukrainian President Urges Biden To Impose 'No Fly Zone' Against Russia

Ukraine’s embattled President Volodomyr Zelensky appealed to President Joe Biden to initiate a no-fly zone over parts of Ukraine, a move that would dramatically escalate the chance of broadening conflict with Russia.

On Monday, Axios reported that Zelensky called Biden to warn him that Ukraine "can beat the aggressor [Russia]" only with the help of its Western allies. To this end, he urged Biden to consider establishing a no-fly zone over western Ukraine, a point he reiterated in a subsequent statement to Axios from Kyiv.

"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 told the outlet through an adviser.

Biden has publicly and repeatedly made clear that he does not intend to send U.S. soldiers into a war with Russia. In a speech last week where he announced new sanctions on Russia, Biden said that any military clash between Washington and Moscow could become akin to a world war.

A day earlier, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield made clear in an interview with CNN that American forces would not take part in a no-fly zone. After news of Zelensky’s request became public, the White House’s press secretary Jen Psaki rejected the idea, noting the extreme risks of coming into conflict with Russia.

“That is definitely escalatory, that would potentially put us in a place where we are in a military conflict with Russia. That is not something [President Joe Biden] wants to do," Psaki said. "Those are all the reasons why that's not a good idea.”

Maintaining unity at home and abroad have been critical for Biden to take strong actions against Russia. There is bipartisan unity on the need to sanction Russia for the war in Ukraine even as Republicans criticize the administration’s handling of the crisis. Overseas, it has managed to corral reluctant allies like Germany and far-off partners like Japan to coordinate strong sanctions aimed at the Russian government and economy.

A no-fly zone though would throw that unity into doubt. A majority of Americans want to see Biden avoid getting into a war with Russia over Ukraine, a view even his most hawkish rivals in the Republican Party echo. European allies too may also be unwilling to go along with such a plan for fear of dramatically escalating tensions. Ben Wallace, the United Kingdom’s Minister of Defense, had previously ruled out a no-fly zone as a tool to help Ukraine.