Following a remarkable address delivered to Congress by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in which he pleaded for further military assistance to fend off the Russian invasion, President Joe Biden committed on Wednesday to increasing “enormous levels of security and humanitarian assistance” to Ukraine—but made no promises to provide fighter jets or implement a no-fly zone, as Zelensky hoped.
“I’m not going to comment on that right now,” Biden said, in response to a shouted question of what it would take for him to support sending MiG-29 twin-engine jet fighters to Ukraine.
Biden committed instead to giving Ukraine “the arms to fight and defend themselves through all the difficult days ahead,” noting that the administration’s most recent military and humanitarian assistance package will include 800 anti-aircraft systems “to make sure the Ukrainian military can continue to stop the planes and helicopters that have been attacking their people,” as well as thousands of small arms and millions of rounds of artillery.
