Senator Graham calls for 'no-fly zone' if Russia uses chemical weapons in Ukraine

Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham

Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham has said that he would "fiercely advocate" a no-fly zone over Ukraine should Russia use chemical weapons.

The South Carolina Republican ranking member of the Senate Committee on Budget made the comments on Saturday during a plenary session titled "Transforming for a New Era", at the annual Doha Forum in the Qatari capital.

In related news, US President Joe Biden on Wednesday claimed there was a "real threat" that Russia could use chemical weapons against Ukraine.

Biden's comments came days after Moscow revealed that the Pentagon had financed a biological weapons research program in the former Soviet republic.

Analysts believe the warning by the Americans of the potential for Russia to use chemical weapons in Ukraine “has to be viewed as a warning that the US plans to use chemical weapons in Ukraine, and to then try to blame it on Russia.”

In regard to a no-fly zone over Ukraine, US senators had earlier warned that implementing the zone over Ukraine amounted to another World War.

Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Joni Ernst warned in recent comments that imposing a no-fly zone in Ukraine was starting World War III.

Rubio told ABC "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that he was not sure a lot of people fully understand what a no-fly zone in Ukraine means,

"So basically a no-fly zone ...  means starting World War III," Rubio warned, explaining,"It's the willingness to shoot down the aircraft of the Russian Federation, which is basically the beginning of World War III."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked the United States to impose the no-fly zone to protect Ukraine from Russian airstrikes and stop buying Russian oil and gas.

Zelenskyy, who made a surprise video appearance at the Doha Forum, called on Qatar to increase production of natural gas to counter Russian threats to use energy as a weapon.

"I ask you to increase the output of energy to ensure that everyone in Russia understands that no one can use energy as a weapon to blackmail the world," Zelensky pled.


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