The reckless disregard with which some U.S. lawmakers are treating the idea of an all-out war with a nuclear power is troubling.
At least two congressmen this week called on the United States to back a “no-fly” zone over Ukraine, which would likely require U.S. pilots to engage directly with Russian fighter jets if Russia violated the zone. Both Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Adam Kinzinger argued this step is the only way to make sure Ukraine has a fighting chance. Neither seemed to care that a no-fly zone would involve the U.S. military directly and escalate the regional conflict to a global catastrophe.
Here’s Kinzinger:
1) The fate of #Ukraine is being decided tonight, but also the fate of the west. Declare a #NoFlyZone over Ukraine at the invitation of their sovereign govt. Disrupt Russias air ops to give the heroic Ukrainians a fair fight. It’s now, or later.
— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) February 25, 2022
Kinzinger goes on to describe Putin as a “dangerous” actor whose territorial ambitions go beyond Ukraine. Both points are true, which is why the U.S. must proceed with caution. Putin has already proven he will be as aggressive as he needs to be. His mental state is reportedly volatile and unpredictable, and he has already put Russia’s nuclear deterrent forces on high alert.
Kinzinger has dismissed Putin’s nuclear threats as meaningless “saber-rattling,” but we can’t be sure. Putin is on the brink of losing power, especially now that the oligarchs propping up his regime are starting to feel the effects of Western sanctions and frustration among the Russian population is growing. We would be fools to call the bluff of a man with nothing more to lose.
Thankfully, Kinzinger isn’t the one in charge. Congress has the power to approve implementation of a no-fly zone, but the president must first request one — something President Joe Biden is rightly refusing to do. When asked this week whether Biden would consider backing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden has no intention of putting us “in a place in a military conflict with Russia.”
This is the right call. Our default position should always be to avoid putting American lives at risk — in Ukraine, at home, and everywhere else. That some U.S. lawmakers don’t share this position in regards to Ukraine is revealing in more ways than one.
