Pentagon Rejects Zelenskyy's Request to Down Russian Missiles

Facts

• Israel and Ukraine are 'two very different landscapes and battlefields,' said Sabrina Singh, a US Department of Defense spokeswoman, at a Pentagon press conference this week.^[1]
• The remark came in response to a reporter's question asking for comment on Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy's call this week for the US to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, similar to Washington's help in shooting down Iranian missiles headed for Israel last weekend.^[2][3]
• 'So thank you for the question,' Singh said on Thursday. 'While I appreciate the question, we are talking about two very different landscapes and battlefields.'^[2]
• She added that, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Pres. Joe Biden 'has directed this department to provide Ukraine what it needs on the battlefield,' further stating that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a call with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, this week to discuss their latest battlefield needs.^[2]
• 'The president has made a commitment that the United States is not putting boots on the ground into Ukraine, but we are supporting Ukraine in their efforts to take back their sovereign territory,' Singh continued.^[2]
• When asked by the reporter to clarify what boots on the ground had to do with shooting down missiles, Singh said: 'That would be involving us in a war in a different way. And right now, we feel that Ukraine has been able to successfully defend against Russian strikes,' adding that the US will continue to support Kyiv.^[2]

Sources: ^[1]Ukrainska Pravda, ^[2]U.S. Department of Defense and ^[3]Verity.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Ukrainska Pravda and India Today. By choosing not to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine, the US — and Ukraine's NATO partners — are rightly abiding by their calculated restraint in dealing with Russia in order to avoid an escalation. The situation cannot be compared to Washington's stance on the war in the Middle East, as they are vastly different landscapes and battlefields and involve unique geopolitical contexts.
• Pro-Russia narrative, as provided by TASS. The US has already escalated the conflict via its endless flow of arms to Ukraine. Nevertheless, Russia's recent liberation of Ugledar shows that this has little impact on battlefield realities. Obviously, Washington will continue to spur Ukrainian leaders to mindless provocative acts. It's high time they realize that such attempts are futile and will only lead to more casualties.

Predictions