Ukraine's foreign minister says no fly-zone the 'only rational decision,' pleads with Biden to reconsider
Kuleba represented Ukraine in high-level negotiations with Russian officials in Turkey last week
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba doubled down on calls for a U.S.-imposed no-fly zone Tuesday, calling it the "only rational decision" despite President Biden's insistence that the move would escalate tensions.
"We will keep pushing because we need to protect our skies," Kuleba told "Special Report" host Bret Baier.
President Zelenskyy is expected to make a similar plea in his virtual address to Congress on Wednesday, after Biden and NATO struck down the possibility of closing the skies over Ukraine, saying that enforcing it would put the U.S. and NATO in direct confrontation with Russia and would only further expand the conflict.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE: LIVE UPDATES
In this photo released by Ukrainian State Emergency Service press service, firefighters evacuate an elderly woman from an apartment building hit by shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 14, 2022. (Ukrainian State Emergency Service via AP) (AP)
Asked whether Ukraine is prepared to "take no for an answer from the U.S. on this," Kuleba said he believes Biden and other NATO leaders will come to terms with the critical nature of Ukraine's request, but hopes it happens sooner than later.
"You know a little bit more than a month ago, Germany said that it would never supply Ukraine with any weapons, and it was a rock solid red line for them, and yet they did it," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}President Biden announces a ban on Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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"So many unimaginable things happened in the last weeks and days. So, what is a red line today will be the only rational decision tomorrow. The only problem is that what will be the price that Ukrainians will have to pay for politicians in different capitals across the world and across the Atlantic have to make to change their positions and understand that something needs to be done?"
Until then, Kuleba said he hopes the Biden administration will facilitate a deal with Poland to send MiG-29 planes to Ukraine for additional air support.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office and posted on Facebook early Saturday, March 12, 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
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"We need to win the battle in the skies and we cannot do that without having new planes supplied to us," he said. "You must understand one thing. There are some cities in Ukraine which do not exist anymore, erased from the surface of this planet. They do not exist because they were bombed to zero."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is why we called on countries to supply weapons to Ukraine," he added. "Weapons which will be helping us to defend our country. Every time we gain a success on the battleground, in the field, we see that Russia makes a slight move toward being more constructive and accepting some of our proposals. So, sanctions and weapons, these are the things that can change the situation on the ground. We Ukrainians will do the rest of the job."