UPI reports that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the U.S. is considering assisting Ukraine in acquiring fighter jets and may consider a restriction on Russian oil imports.
As part of a Sunday morning press blitz, Blinken indicated that the United States was interested in supplying Poland with F-16 fighter jets in order to supplement any planes that the United States provides to the Ukrainian government.
In the absence of a no-fly zone, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly begged for a supply of military aircraft in order to protect his people from aerial assaults.
“In order to help the Ukrainians, we’re currently working with Poland to see if we can supplement any assistance they’ve already given. We are very much in their corner, donating MiGs, SUs, and other planes that can be flown by Ukrainians to them “In an interview transcript with CNN, Blinken stated.
“As I mentioned before, we’d like to see if we can help fill any security gaps for Poland that might emerge from whatever assistance the Ukrainians receive from the United States. Right now, we’re having a discussion about it.”
According to Blinken, the decision to send planes to Ukraine is not a NATO decision but “a sovereign decision by Poland.” To ensure that “if they choose to do that, we’d like to make sure that we can help them and again, backfill what they’re offering,” Blinken added.
When asked about NATO countries sending aircraft to Ukraine, Blinken remarked in an interview with CBS News that “everyone gets a green light.”
If Russian soldiers kill Zelensky, the Ukrainian government has a backup plan in place, according to Blinken, who spoke to CBS News. “There are plans in place by the Ukrainians that I’m not going to discuss or get into any details about to ensure that there is what we would term continuity of administration. There you have it, folks “Blinken made the statement.
On the subject of a possible embargo on Russian oil imports, the senior diplomat told CNN that the issue was “quite active as we speak” during his Sunday appearances.
As for Russian oil, “I spoke with [President Joe Biden] and other members of the cabinet yesterday on exactly this subject,” Blinken added. An embargo on Russian oil imports is being discussed in concert with European partners and friends, who want to ensure that there is sufficient oil on the world market to meet demand.
In a meeting with members of the US Congress on Saturday, Zelensky advised them to cease purchasing Russian oil, which would be “much more forceful than” removing Russia from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT).
Import restrictions on Russian oil were strongly suggested by Republicans and Democrats alike following the meeting. In an interview with NBC News, Blinken made clear that the United States would not be imposing a restriction on Russian oil on its own.
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