On Sunday evening, the White House struggled with how best to support Ukraine without involving the US and NATO forces come into direct conflict with Russia.
The day began with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken saying the White House had given the green light to Poland to send fighter jets to Ukraine, a claim that Moscow forcibly rejected. It then ended with Poland calling reports of its planes being sent to Ukraine “fake news”.
This was announced by a senior American official. New York Times that the White House is asking the question: “Tell me how we can avoid getting involved in a superpower conflict.”
Support among the US public for a no-fly zone over Ukraine remains high, Ukrainian President Volodymyr said Zelenskyrequested again on Saturday, with three-quarters of those polled by Reuters/IPSOS on Friday backing the idea.
But it was not clear how many understood that placing US planes in the skies over Ukraine would result in them having to shoot down Russian planes, likely triggering World War III.
Instead of directly fighting Russia, the US and its 30-member NATO allies have been sending weapons to Ukraine; more than 17,000 anti-tank weapons, including Javelin missiles, have been sent by land to Ukraine across the borders of Poland and Romania since the conflict began.
A $350 million military aid package was approved by Congress on February 26, two days after the conflict began, and 70 percent of that amount was delivered in five days. In contrast, the $60 million arms package for Ukraine agreed in August was not completed until November, the Pentagon said.
New York Times described the weapon’s delivery rate as “warp speed”.
On Sunday, a Ukrainian soldier is pictured holding an NLAW — a new-generation light anti-tank weapon — at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Kyiv. To date, NATO has sent 17,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.
US troops are seen Sunday at the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base near Constanta, Romania.
Two Polish Air Force Russian-made MiG 29s fly above and below two Polish Air Force F-16 fighters at an air show in 2011. The US has approved Poland’s sending its MiGs to Ukraine, but Poland is reluctant to do so. fearing an escalation of hostilities
Military equipment of the French army is loaded from an An-124 cargo plane at the Mihail Kogalniceanu airbase near Constanta, Romania, on Friday.
Blinken said Sunday the country is in talks with Poland to arrange a deal that would allow Ukrainian Air Force pilots to fly Polish fighter jets to combat Russian air superiority.
Poland has a fleet of 28 Russian-made MiG-29 combat aircraft that Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly and are currently using.
Polish aircraft, in turn, will be replaced by F-16s sent by the United States, although the new F-16s were intended for delivery to Taiwan.
Blinken, when asked about handing over the F-16s to Poland, told CBS’s Face the Nation: “This will get the green light. In fact, we are now talking with our Polish friends that we could meet their needs, if in fact they decide to provide these fighters to the Ukrainians. What we can do?’
“How can we help make sure they get something to refuel the planes they hand over to the Ukrainians?”
Blinken was in Moldova and Poland on Saturday, and also briefly visited Ukraine to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was seen on the Ukrainian-Polish border on Saturday with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmitry Kuleba.
Blinken spoke at a press conference in Moldova on Sunday (pictured)
Blinken exits his plane upon arrival in Lithuania on Sunday. He is currently on a trip to Poland, Moldova, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
Currently, Russian troops are trying to encircle Kyiv and are moving forward in the northeast and southeast.
“It was inspiring to meet my friend Dmytro Kuleba at the Ukrainian-Polish border today,” he tweeted.
“The leadership and courage that he and @ZelenskyyUa have shown is remarkable and the United States and the world will continue to support them and the people of Ukraine.”
Following Blinken’s announcement that they would approve Poland’s supply of planes to Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry then warned the countries against deploying Kiev military planes, saying they could become involved in an armed conflict.
Igor Konashenkov, spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said at a video briefing that some of the Ukrainian combat aircraft had been redeployed to Romania and other countries neighboring Ukraine.
He warned that if these warplanes attacked Russian forces from the territory of these countries, this “could be regarded as the participation of these countries in a military conflict.”
Konashenkov said: “We know for sure that Ukrainian combat aircraft flew to Romania and other neighboring countries.
“The use of the airfield network of these countries for basing Ukrainian military aviation with the subsequent use of force against the Russian army can be regarded as drawing these states into an armed conflict.”
He also stated that “practically all” combat-ready aviation of Ukraine was destroyed.
Poland itself was concerned about the consequences of sending planes to Ukraine.
Polish President Andrzej Duda had previously rejected the idea, noting that the supply of aircraft would be seen as intervention in the conflict.
In response to a tweet from the Nexta news site citing The Wall Street Journal that MiGs could be sent from Poland to Ukraine, the Polish Prime Minister’s office tweeted: “Unfortunately, you are spreading disinformation.
“Poland will not send its fighter jets to Ukraine, nor will it allow the use of its airports.
“We help significantly in many other areas.”
General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is in Lithuania on Sunday.
Milli performs at the training ground in Pabrade, about 38 miles north of the capital Vilnius.
This was announced by a Polish official. Financial Times: “Poland is not at war with Russia, but it is not an impartial country because it supports Ukraine as a victim of aggression.
“However, he believes that all military matters should be decided by NATO as a whole.”
Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited a training center in Pabrade, Lithuania, on Sunday.
U.S. troops sent there weeks ago by President Joe Biden were pictured in Romania on Sunday.
Biden spent the weekend at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and on Saturday visited St. Joseph’s at Brandywine Roman Catholic Church with his family.
Later Saturday night, he spoke to Zelenskiy in a nearly 40-minute call from 6:18 p.m. to 6:50 p.m.
Joe and Jill Biden return to the White House Sunday night after a weekend in Delaware.
The Ukrainian leader fears that Russia may soon launch massive air strikes after their ground offensive is progressing much more slowly than the Kremlin expected.
Meanwhile, devastating photos and videos on Sunday exposed the horror of Vladimir Putin’s lawless invasion of Ukraine, as Russian troops opened heavy artillery and rocket fire on local residents.
Heartbreaking footage filmed in Irpen, on the outskirts of the besieged capital Kyiv, confirmed that Russian forces were attacking densely populated civilian areas.
In one image, a mother and her two children lie dead on a sidewalk in Irpin, killed after trying to flee the city.
Blinken said there are “very credible reports” that Russia committed war crimes during its invasion of Ukraine, especially in attacks on civilians.
A second attempt on Sunday to evacuate refugees from Mariupol failed again after the city was shelled just minutes after the ceasefire.
Some 400,000 residents were expected to be evacuated from 12 noon, with the original agreement in effect until 9 pm, but on Sunday night, residents had to take shelter in bomb shelters without electricity or water.
This followed similar attempts on Saturday, when plans to evacuate refugees were halted when shelling resumed 45 minutes after the ceasefire.