Sen. Joni Ernst
Joni Kay ErnstSunday shows preview: Russian invasion of Ukraine intensifies LIVE COVERAGE: Biden delivers State of the Union Biden, lawmakers wear blue and yellow in support of Ukraine MORE (R-Iowa), the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate, said on Sunday that if NATO sets up a no-fly zone over Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested, then Russia will have the “opportunity” to attack the U.S. or Europe.
“Once we engage with Russians directly, that does involve all of our NATO partners as well. This gives Russia the opportunity then to attack not only the United States, but also others in Europe, and it’s a very tenuous situation,” Ernst said while appearing on “Fox News Sunday.”
Ernst praised Zelensky for making requests of the international community in the midst of Russia’s invasion of his country, saying it was what she should do as a leader. However, she stated that the U.S. directly engaging with Russia “would be World War III.”
“What we can do is provide all the defensive mechanisms for President Zelensky and his armed services to provide their own protected airspace,” said Ernst. “And that starts, of course, with providing air platforms to President Zelensky, making sure that those pilots are able to protect their own airspace.
Fox News Channel’s chief legal correspondent and “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon Bream
Shannon BreamNew book by Fox News host Shannon Bream due out next month Fox News signs book deal with HarperCollins Sen. Capito optimistic that ‘real compromise’ can be reached in infrastructure plan MORE noted that Ernst had recently written about the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, a 1994 agreement that saw Ukraine give up its nuclear capabilities in exchange for security assurances from numerous countries including the U.S., U.K. and Russia.
Ernst, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that the agreement was “no more than pieces of paper” to Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin 5 things to know today about the Russia-Ukraine conflict Israeli prime minister meets with Putin to discuss Ukraine Lawmakers in both parties see limits on US help for Ukraine MORE. Though Russia has violated the agreement, Ernst said the U.S. still needed to abide by the Budapest Memo.
“These agreements, they need to mean something. But to Vladimir Putin, again, they’re just pieces of paper,” she said.
–Updated at 12:03 p.m.
Sen. Joni ErnstJoni Kay ErnstSunday shows preview: Russian invasion of Ukraine intensifies LIVE COVERAGE: Biden delivers State of the Union Biden, lawmakers wear blue and yellow in support of Ukraine MORE (R-Iowa), the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate, said on Sunday that if NATO sets up a no-fly zone over Ukraine, as President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested, then Russia will have the “opportunity” to attack the U.S. or Europe.”Once we engage with Russians directly, that does involve all of our NATO partners as well. This gives Russia the opportunity then to attack not only the United States, but also others in Europe, and it’s a very tenuous situation,” Ernst said while appearing on “Fox News Sunday.”Ernst praised Zelensky for making requests of the international community in the midst of Russia’s invasion of his country, saying it was what she should do as a leader. However, she stated that the U.S. directly engaging with Russia “would be World War III.””What we can do is provide all the defensive mechanisms for President Zelensky and his armed services to provide their own protected airspace,” said Ernst. “And that starts, of course, with providing air platforms to President Zelensky, making sure that those pilots are able to protect their own airspace.Fox News Channel’s chief legal correspondent and “Fox News Sunday” host Shannon BreamShannon BreamNew book by Fox News host Shannon Bream due out next month Fox News signs book deal with HarperCollins Sen. Capito optimistic that ‘real compromise’ can be reached in infrastructure plan MORE noted that Ernst had recently written about the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, a 1994 agreement that saw Ukraine give up its nuclear capabilities in exchange for security assurances from numerous countries including the U.S., U.K. and Russia.Ernst, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that the agreement was “no more than pieces of paper” to Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich Putin 5 things to know today about the Russia-Ukraine conflict Israeli prime minister meets with Putin to discuss Ukraine Lawmakers in both parties see limits on US help for Ukraine MORE. Though Russia has violated the agreement, Ernst said the U.S. still needed to abide by the Budapest Memo.”These agreements, they need to mean something. But to Vladimir Putin, again, they’re just pieces of paper,” she said.–Updated at 12:03 p.m.