The US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Sunday, March 6, said that President Joe Biden is very clear of US troops not being deployed ‘on the ground or in the air’ in Ukraine. She said this may escalate the war and turn into an American war against Russia.
“President Biden has been very, very clear that American troops will not be put on the ground or in the air to escalate this war and make this an American war against — against the Russians,” Thomas-Greenfield told ABC “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos.
She further mentioned that the US is clear on supporting Ukraine in every way possible in a war against Russia. This remark was made in response to Ukraine’s requests to the West to impose more sanctions beyond existing efforts. It further requested more weapons, including a plea for Russian-made planes, to help it repel enemy forces.
Referring to Putin’s reasons for invading as baseless, the West has expanded its effort to strengthen Ukraine by sending in items from Stinger missiles to anti-tank weapons.
Zelenskyy had angrily denounced NATO’s refusal to impose a no-fly zone and held the West responsible for everyone who are killed in the war. But the White House and NATO allies have opposed the implementation of a no-fly zone over Ukraine for fear that it would escalate the conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders.
While Zelenskyy on Saturday had said that if a no-fly zone couldn’t be implemented then Ukraine would need fighter jets to defend itself against Russia’s military operation.
Russia-Ukraine war
Russia’s Defence Ministry on Saturday declared a partial ceasefire to allow humanitarian corridors out of the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha. “From 1000 Moscow time (0700 GMT), the Russian side declares a ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to leave Mariupol and Volnovakha,” Russian news agencies quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying.
Mariupol officials said that as Russian forces are violating the ceasefire by resuming shelling, evacuation efforts in the city had to be halted. The United Nations Human Rights Office has confirmed that 351 civilians have been reported dead and 707 civilians have been injured since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.
According to the UN monitoring mission, at least 364 civilians are confirmed to have been killed and another 759 wounded in Ukraine since Russia started military operations on February 24, although the true numbers are probably “considerably higher”.