Ernst: No-Fly Zone Would Give Russia ‘Opportunity’ to Attack U.S., Europe

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) said on this week’s broadcast of “Fox News Sunday” that if NATO sets up a no-fly zone over Ukraine, it will give Russia the “opportunity” to attack the United States or Europe.

Host Shannon Bream said, “Senator, you were the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate. You sit on the Senate Armed Services Committee. What is your position on the request for a no-fly zone?”

Ernst said, “Once we engage with Russians directly, that does involve all of our NATO partners as well. This gives Russia the opportunity then to attack not only the United States but also others in Europe, and it’s a very tenuous situation. We certainly don’t want to see it deteriorate any further. However, there need to be very stiff pushbacks on Vladimir Putin, the oligarchs in Russia because of this action that they have taken against Ukraine. We cannot allow this to go unchecked now or in the future.”

She continued, “What we can do is provide all the defensive mechanisms for President Zelensky and his armed services to provide their own protected airspace.”

Ernst added, “These agreements, they need to mean something. But to Vladimir Putin, again, they’re just pieces of paper.”

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