Rubio: Implementing no-fly zone over Ukraine ‘means starting World War III’

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) said on Sunday that implementing a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine would result in World War III, noting that he is “not sure a lot of people fully understand what that means.”

“A no-fly zone has become a catchphrase. I’m not sure a lot of people fully understand what that means,” Rubio told host George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week.” 

“That means flying AWACS [airborne warning and control systems] 24 hours a day. That means the willingness to shoot down and engage Russian airplanes in the sky. That means, frankly, you can’t put those planes up there unless they’re willing to knock out the anti-aircraft systems that the Russians have deployed … not just in Ukraine but Russia and also in Belarus,” Rubio said.

“So basically a no-fly zone, if people understand what it means, it means World War III. It means starting World War III,” Rubio said. “It’s not some rule you pass that everybody has to oblige by. It’s the willingness to shoot down the aircrafts of the Russian Federation, which is basically the beginning of World War III.”

GOP @SenRubioPress tells @gstephanopoulos implementing a “no-fly zone” over Ukraine means “World War III.”

“I think there are a lot of things we can do to help Ukraine protect itself… but i think people need to understand what a no-fly zone means.” https://t.co/TmS4hhW05m pic.twitter.com/l9EuTazsvv

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) March 6, 2022

An increasing number of U.S. lawmakers and officials in Ukraine are pleading for the Biden administration and its allies to establish a no-fly zone over Ukrainian airspace to help ward off Russian attacks. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have said that a no-fly zone is a key request they have since the Russian invasion began in earnest roughly two weeks ago. Proponents believe a no-fly zone would cut off Russian air support, blunt the advance of Russian troops toward Kyiv and save the lives of innocent Ukrainians. 

But Biden administration officials have been consistent and clear that a no-fly zone is off the table, citing the potential for dangerous ripple effects.

No-fly zones are used to prohibit enemy aircraft from flying in a certain region and carrying out attacks on populations.