It took all-out war for Germany and President Biden to kill the Nord Stream 2 plans, which Senate Republicans had called for canceling months ago. Such acts of defiance put to shame Western leaders who have failed to devote serious resources to stopping autocracy. Lithuania, for example, has openly supported Taiwanese democracy and criticized China’s gross human rights abuses, even with a major sector of its economy held hostage by Beijing. Recognizing the global significance of this fight against dictators, some of these allies have even applied a tough posture toward faraway regimes like the Chinese Communist Party. Poland has fearlessly moved to give Ukrainian pilots much-needed fighter jets and anti-air systems.
#Roger wicker no fly zone full
Our Estonian friends were among the first to insist on making no concessions to Putin, offer truckloads of their finest weaponry to Ukraine, and call for a no-fly-zone over Ukraine, knowing full well the consequences of these moves. They know it will be fleeting if it is not vigilantly protected – and they have acted accordingly.Įstonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland have all scored in the top quarter of NATO contributors per capita in recent years, and they have only deepened their commitments since the Ukraine crisis began. These allies spent decades under the Soviet thumb and know that their freedom was hard won. And their leaders consistently give voice to themes of human freedom and democracy. They punch above their weight on global missions. Our Baltic and Eastern Front NATO allies spend far more on defense than their GDPs would suggest.
Rumsfeld’s hypothesis is holding true today. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld once called these allies “New Europe.” The phrase was meant to describe a bloc of former Soviet states who appeared to have become the most committed in Europe to regional security and global democracy. Even Germany and Switzerland have awakened to the Russian threat.Īs the West recalibrates, we should renew our commitment to our friends in Eastern Europe who never lost their wariness of the Russian bear. Congress is weighing defense spending levels not seen in decades. Peace through strength is relevant again. Instead, we now curiously find ourselves in a world where old things have become new. Putin’s war on Ukraine has shattered any illusions that the post-Cold War settlement would remain uncontested. The Baltic States and Poland know what it’s like to lose their freedom. “Tens of thousands of women and children fleeing from Kyiv west have created a humanitarian situation that the international community needs to step in and be involved in,” he argued.With a Lithuanian Defence Minister in Vilnius Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) steps down later this year, argued Russian President Vladimir Putin is “the one escalating this war.” “That would mean World War III,” he told HuffPost.īut Wicker, who will likely become the next top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee after Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) offered a blunter response. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said Monday when asked if he supported imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine. I don’t think we can get in a situation where we’re almost asking for engagement,” Sen. “They’re not a NATO country, as much as we want to help them. Most Republicans also oppose the idea of sending U.S. “Those are all the reasons why that’s not a good idea.” That is not something wants to do,” Psaki said in an interview on MSNBC. “That is definitely escalatory, that would potentially put us in a place where we are in a military conflict with Russia. military would be shooting down planes, Russian planes,” threatening the outbreak of a larger war involving the U.S., White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. military - it would essentially mean the U.S. Ukrainian officials are reportedly urging President Joe Biden and NATO to impose a no-fly zone over parts of the country as large numbers of Russian troops approach the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, but top White House officials have ruled out the idea.Ī no-fly zone would require “implementation by the U.S. resolution, which Russia would veto, a strong coalition of like-minded nations should step in and seriously consider this,” Wicker told HuffPost on Monday.
Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) endorsed the idea of creating a no-fly zone over Ukraine amid the Russian invasion of the eastern European country, which grows deadlier by the day as Russian troops lay siege to population centers.
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