Lindsey Graham criticized President Joe Biden’s response to the war in Ukraine on Monday night, saying he was “weak” and that Russian President Vladimir Putin “owns Biden” after he decided to back out of allowing Ukraine to use MiG fighter jets from Poland. war.
The Republican senator from South Carolina appeared on Fox News on Monday night, trying to analyze the current state of the invasion. He suggested that Biden needed to “clearly” explain to Putin the consequences of using chemical or nuclear weapons against the Ukrainian people.
Earlier this month, Poland offered Ukraine its 28 MiG-29s, but said it would hand them over to US storage at Ramstein Air Base in Germany for delivery.
The announcement appears to have offended US officials, who ultimately turned down the offer.
Host Sean Hannity asked Graham why Biden had vetoed Poland’s plan to allow Ukraine to use its MiG jets to defend its territory.
“In terms of America’s role, why did Joe Biden veto Poland to hand over MiGs to the Ukrainians so they could fight their own war?” Hannity asked.
Graham quickly replied, “Because Biden belongs to Putin.”
Senator Lindsey Graham said Ukraine should have a no-fly zone and that Russian President Vladimir Putin “belongs to Biden,” vetoing a plan to use Polish fighter jets.
President Biden and his advisers have consistently rejected the idea of a NATO-imposed no-fly zone over Ukraine. Biden pictured on Monday
Biden was asked if he could change his mind about the decision, to which the president replied, “I won’t comment on that now.”
“Biden is afraid of escalation. He is afraid to anger Putin. As troops amassed around Ukraine, Republicans and Democrats said, “Sanction Putin for provoking a military buildup, don’t wait for an invasion.”
Graham said he thought the president still had time to draw a red line that Putin should not cross and that the use of chemical weapons against the Ukrainian people should result in a no-fly zone over the country.
Biden and his advisers have consistently rejected the idea of a NATO-imposed no-fly zone over Ukraine.
“In terms of America’s role, why did Joe Biden veto Poland to hand over MiGs to the Ukrainians so they could fight their own war?” Hannity, right, asked. Graham quickly replied, “Because Biden belongs to Putin.”
Senator Graham said that if Russian President Vladimir Putin, pictured, uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine, NATO should regard it as a direct attack. Putin is pictured in the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday
They argue that this policy will lead to direct combat between U.S. and Russian forces and risk an uncontrolled escalation — “which is exactly the move we want to avoid,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said March 3.
Any introduction of a no-fly zone will result in the US shooting down Russian aircraft and missiles over Ukrainian territory.
“We will not wage war against Russia in Ukraine. A direct confrontation between NATO and Russia is World War III and we must strive to prevent it,” Biden said on March 11.
Graham suggested that Biden should have a clear plan before he travels to Thursday’s NATO summit in Brussels, which will consider options for resolving the situation in Ukraine.
“There’s a NATO summit coming up,” Graham explained. “That’s what I would like to say to NATO. If there is a chemical attack by the Russian military against the Ukrainian people, we must immediately introduce a no-fly zone, because this violates all the rules that we have established since the Second World War.”
Graham also suggested that if Russia uses nuclear weapons, then NATO should consider this a basis for attacking Russia, despite the fact that Ukraine is not part of the organization.
“If Putin detonates a nuclear weapon on the territory of Ukraine, radiation will affect most of Europe,” Graham explained. “We must take into account that [an] attack on NATO itself.
Satellite imagery provided by Maxar Technologies shows damage and burning buildings in Irpin, near Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday as the invasion approaches a month of fighting.
A civilian clears rubble from his apartment, damaged in an explosion two days earlier, in a residential area of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday.
“The only thing I have learned is that if you are not clear, they will see you as weak. Nobody assumed Trump was weak,” Graham continued. “Do you know why Putin didn’t invade Trump’s guard? Because he didn’t think he could get away with it.
“This is the most dangerous time in world history since the 1930s. So I implore NATO to tell Putin what will happen if you use chemical weapons on the poor, suffering people of Ukraine. If he detonates a nuclear weapon in Ukraine to scare us all, then the radiation entering the NATO countries is an attack on NATO itself, and you are getting into a fight with NATO.”
Last week, Graham called for the assassination of Putin despite criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike for taking the drastic step.
Yes, I hope it gets removed one way or another. I don’t care how they get him out. I don’t care if we send him to The Hague and judge, I just want him to leave,” Graham said of the Russian president.
Graham said he wanted the Russians to do the killing.
“Vladimir Putin is not a legitimate leader, he is a war criminal. The Russian people must deal with him,” he said.
“The only thing I have learned is that if you are not clear, they will see you as weak. Nobody assumed Trump was weak,” Graham rightly continued. “Do you know why Putin didn’t invade Trump’s guard? Because he didn’t think he could get away with it.